The Dark Side of Paradise
by jenthetrulysly
Summary: A deadly new force of terror comes to Hawaii and it is up to Steve and Danny to stop the horror that is about to ravage the islands and turn the streets red with blood. Co-written with the lovely, talented and amazing traw.
1. Chapter 1

**The Dark Side of Paradise**

By: jenthetrulysly and traw

_**Chapter 1**_

The dark haired detective frowned but remained silent as he watched the governor shift uncomfortably in his seat behind the large desk. There was something unusually unnerving about that, since Paul Jameson was a normally a man who remained calm and collected at all times, even when in the direct line of fire. Steve had been with Five-O long enough to recognize this as an ominous portent of either something very big, or very critical. Most of the time it was both.

Clearing his throat, Jameson placed his hands on the desk as he leaned forward, his face conveying the seriousness of the matter to be discuss, "I called you in Steve to discuss a very...um...sensitive matter and ask for Five-O's help to deal with it." McGarrett remained silent as the Governor paused before he shifted uncomfortably again in his seat and continued, "To be more specific I wish to ask for yours and Williams' assistance."

"Sir?" McGarrett prodded when Jameson fell quiet again.

The governor visibly swallowed and Steve was surprised as a flush slowly colored the Governor's face and wondered what had caused it. "I need you both to go undercover." The older man said softly, stalling for time.

McGarrett knew a stall for time when he came across one and this had all the markings of one. Seeing as he barely had enough time in the day to stay on top of all his duties and responsibilities as the Head of Five-O, he cut right to the chase. He currently had three cases open and none of them were any closer to being solved. The quicker he could get out of here, the faster he could get back to work.

"Yes, sir." McGarrett said, scanning Jameson's slightly blushing face and wondering what could have caused that, "Can you please tell me more about the nature of this investigation? Why exactly does the investigation need to personally be handled by both myself and Danny?"

There were a few moments pause as the Governor decided on the best approach to broach this with McGarrett. He settled for starting with, "Steve, in your investigation of the illicit drug trade on these islands, have you come across anything about a drug called LST?"

McGarrett was silent for a few moments as he shifted through his memory for any recognition of the name, "Yes, sir. I have. It's a new drug that has come on the scene. Reports are that it is a far more potent and dangerous form of LSD better know on the streets as Twilight Dust but as far as Five-O has been able to ascertain it has not yet reached the islands."

"I have reports that it may be here already Steve." Jameson interrupted quietly.

McGarrett leaned forward, "What reports, sir?"

"I have it on good authority that there is a small organized group of men from the mainland who have set up labs here on Oahu and are producing the drug." Jameson answered before holding up his hand to prevent McGarrett from interrupting as he continued. "But the reports are unsubstantiated at the moment Steve and because of some of the men involved, I would like Five-O - more specifically - Danny and you... to go undercover and check it out personally."

Rising from his seat, the blush that colored the Governor's face deepened as he moved to pace his office and added softly, "It's not just the men involved that makes this case so sensitive..." He paused again for a moment before he drew a deep breath and continued. "Let's just say it's also the men's lifestyle. These men I fear have brought with them a lifestyle that undermines everything that is decent and acceptable in society. If left to proliferate, it could challenge and degrade society as we know it."

"Illicit drugs by their very nature undermine the moral fabric of society." Steve conceded, clasping his hands loosely on his lap, "How so does LST challenge this even further?"

There were a few beats of silence as Jameson composed his arguments, where the sounds of the wind whooshing past the palm trees outside filled the office. It was deceptively peaceful. Jameson usually had no such issues expressing any problems with a potential investigation.

McGarrett knew that this was going to be a very delicate investigation, if the Governor's hesitance was anything to go by.

Turning back towards the waiting detective, Jameson sighed. "The men involved are homosexual, Steve. And they have formed a very tightly knitted community here on our islands."

"Homosexuals..." Steve stared at the Governor as he finally began to realize the undercover job the Governor was asking him and Danny to undertake.

"Several of the community members are...let us say...very influential within the White House...so now you can understand the delicacy of this case." Jameson rushed on, "So far all I have is unsubstantiated rumors and Chinese whispers but we need proof and solid proof at that to stop these men. Proof that I want you and Williams to obtain."

"So you want us to..." McGarrett wasn't certain whether to laugh or be upset at the scenario the Governor was suggesting nor did he quite know how he was going to explain this to his young Second-In-Command.

The Governor nodded, "I'm afraid so Steve, I do know this is a very secretive and tight knit community and the only men they seem to trust are fellow homosexuals with the same perverted likes as their own."

"And you are certain that they are manufacturing LST, sir?" McGarrett frowned.

"Manufacturing it and preparing to send it back to the mainland to be sold. I have also been told it is being sold underground here as well. We need to stop them Steve and stop them fast." The Governor's voice rose with passion, "This is not the type of tourists with whom we want to share our beautiful islands with."

"Yes, sir." Steve answered, "Please leave it to us." He moved to stand up and Jameson matched his actions, a grim smile on his face.

"I have no doubt that you and Williams will be able to do it," Jameson said.

"I also take it that this is to be kept in strictest confidence, a private investigation with minimal HPD involvement as well?" McGarrett queried.

"I leave that as a matter for you to decide." Jameson replied, "Make this the top priority, at all costs. Good day to you, Steve," he said.

"Good day, sir." McGarrett nodded his head in acquiescence and walked out of the office, trying to think of just how he was going to explain the very sensitive nature of this investigation to his Second-In-Command. He walked down the steps back to the Five-O offices, his footsteps heavy and halting as his mind turned over all of the possibilities.

If it was up to him he would have preferred to offer the young man a choice. Not many men would jump at the opportunity to go undercover into a close-knit gay community, with their boss least of all. Homosexuality was a very sensitive topic for many people and he had no idea how Danny would respond to this latest assignment. The man seemed blatantly heterosexual at this stage, but then again, McGarrett really didn't know anything about the sandy haired detective's personal life. Sure, he knew about Jane but that was only because circumstances had deemed it appropriate. It had taken her death for Danny to open up.

He just hoped that by the end of this investigation, they would still be able to look at each other in the eye again. Entering the Five-O offices to the familiar sights and sounds of the typewriter and Chin and Danny's voices, he walked past Chin's cubicle where his two detectives were seated studying a file together. Tapping on the window, he ordered, "My office, Danno!"

If the order seemed gruff neither detective seemed to notice as Danny shrugged at his colleague and rose from his seat before following McGarrett into his office, closing the door firmly behind him as he entered. "What's up Steve?" he asked as he walked across the office and settled himself on the corner of his boss' desk as McGarrett sat down.

"The Governor has a sensitive request that he has asked Five-O to attend to," the lead detective began softly.

"A sensitive request?" Danny's eyebrow rose in curiosity as he eyed Steve warily.

McGarrett nodded and leaned forward as he asked, "How would you feel going undercover with a partner?"

"Undercover with a partner? Who? And why?"

"Jameson has asked us both to work undercover on this one. And I have all already agreed." McGarrett leaned forward as Danny frowned, "He has had unsubstantiated reports that LST is being manufactured on the island and is ready to be distributed both here and on the mainland."

The younger detective stared at McGarrett, "Twilight Dust? That's nasty stuff. But why does the governor want you and me...?"

"It gets nastier, Aikane." McGarrett answered softly, "The word on the Governor's coconut wireless is the men involved are important staff members in the White House and..." McGarrett paused to study his younger friend's reaction closely as he added more softly, "The only way to get even remotely close to see what is going on, we need to act as if we are a couple."

Danny blinked and stared in surprise at McGarrett before he burst into laughter, "A couple?" he gasped.

The laughter died on his lips as he saw McGarrett nod seriously and he cautiously asked, "You mean as in you and me?"

McGarrett nodded again as Danny nervously rubbed his hand over his curls and admitted, "I'm...I'm not sure if I can do that."

He watched as color slowly leeched out of the younger man's face as shock, or something very closely resembling shock settled over Danny. In other cases he would have felt sympathy for the young man, but this was something that had to be done. There was no room for maudlin thoughts. It was an outright order from the Governor, which meant that there was no way they could refuse it. Undercover investigations were part of standard Five-O procedure, and by now Danny should have known that they could encompass anything and everything.

Nonetheless, a twinge of sympathy still surfaced inside him when he caught sight of those clear blue eyes averting their gaze and the light touch of color on Danny's cheeks. The hair carding became more frequent with each passing moment, those nimble fingers sliding through the sandy tresses. A very stagnant silence settled over the two detectives.

"It has to be done," McGarrett reminded him in a much gentler tone. Something in his voice caused Danny's gaze to snap back up, and they regarded each other across the expanse of the wooden desk. McGarrett willed Danny to understand, because he had to understand, before resignation settled over the young man.

"Alright, Steve." He said finally agreed, rather quietly.

Danny had been Second-In-Command long enough to know that when Steve was in this mindset, his focus narrowed only to the task in front of him. His boss was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done, no matter what the personal costs to himself. Whilst this singular dedication was honorable and worthy of praise, Danny often wondered what the personal cost was. Since it was none of his business whatsoever, he kept the thought to himself. This was also great, because it meant another impending break up to look forward to.

A unique result of undercover investigations was that he often had to disappear for long periods of time with very little to no explanation to the person he was seeing. As such, no matter how many times he emphasized that the details of his assignment were "top secret" and "classified" his partner would never believe him. Often the relationship was doomed from the start because if there was no way that they could trust him and his word then there was no potential for any sort of deeper understanding. There would be no way that their relationship would and could work beyond the base level of physical attraction.

"I trust you will be able to make all the necessary arrangements before starting on this assignment with me." McGarrett said, breaking through the young detective's tumultuous thoughts. There was almost a note of understanding in smooth voice.

"Sure, Steve," Danny replied after a few moments, before beating a hasty retreat from the office. As the head of Five-O watched the retreating figure almost run for the door, he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding as the tension eased out of his shoulders. As far as assignment briefings went, this one could have gone a lot better.

But then again, it could have also gone a lot worse.

**H50H50H50H50**

Stepping through the doorway of their 'new' house, Danny looked around in awe at the obvious opulence of their new lifestyle. "Wow!" He breathed as he eyed the deep plush carpets, the ornate furnishings, the large bay windows and lanai door that lead out to the private beach outside, "The Governor is sparing no expense, is he?"

McGarrett glanced around, seemingly unimpressed with his new surroundings, "We are dealing with some very wealthy and influential men, Danno."

The younger man nodded as he glanced up the impressive stairway that lead up to the first floor before he glanced towards his boss, "I guess if we are a couple we will be sharing the bedroom."

McGarrett nodded, "These men are very clever people. I am sure one of the first things they will covertly check when they are our dinner guests tonight is the sleeping arrangements, Danno. "

"I guess I should have asked if you snore." Danny grinned mischievously, "Because if you do I guess it's too late ask Kono to bring me some ear plugs before we go to bed tonight."

"I don't snore!" McGarrett grinned as he led the way up the stairs, silently relieved that his young friend and Second-in-Command appeared to have accepted the undercover role into which they had both been thrust. The entire case rested on how well they could pull their roles off.

All thoughts of snoring and blanket hog potential abruptly few out of their minds once they entered the main bedroom which was a study in decadence. The room was palatial; it was so large that it was bigger that McGarrett and Danny's apartments combined. The ceiling was high and there was a large chandelier in the middle which bathed everything in soft light. The ornate dark wood furniture undoubtedly cost more than a house in the most expensive beachside suburb in Hawaii and the bed itself was incredibly big, filled with enough fluffy pillows and warm blankets that there would be no issue with pillows and blankets. It was big enough that five fully-grown men could fit into the bed without being squashed like sardines.

"Well, I see that space won't be an issue here," McGarrett noted drolly as he watched Danny walk over to the bed and throw his luggage onto the velvet ottoman at the end of the bed before starting to fish for his small case of toiletries in his luggage.

The younger man turned to face him, his features carefully schooled into an impassive mask. "I'm going to grab a shower. See you in a bit for dinner?" Danny flashed a warm smile at McGarrett as the man walked across the wide expanse of the room and crossed into a door where the ensuite was, "Don't make anything too spicy!" he added before disappearing behind the door with a soft click.

The dark haired detective approached the ottoman where Danny had been before depositing his travel bag next to his friend's. He caught a glimpse of something shiny in the dark recesses of the other man's bag. A keen sense of curiosity stole over him before he managed to stop his probing fingers before they descended into the bag to see what it was. Danny's personal life had nothing to do with him; he had learned long ago not to poke unwarranted into other people's personal business in his personal capacity. Doing something like this would have crossed an invisible line that he wasn't sure he wanted to cross.

To distance himself from this train of thought, he walked out of the bedroom and back down the stairs to a less intense setting before he switched his mind to thinking about what sort of things Danny would want to eat. He only knew that the man ate sandwiches and fast food at work.

It scared him slightly when he realized that he didn't know anything about what the man liked or disliked.

**H50H50H50H50**

The mouth watering aroma of steak barbequing greeted Danny as he walked through the large open glass sliding door and out onto the lanai.

"I thought we could have steak and salad with our guests for dinner." McGarrett announced as he turned the steak and nodded towards the table that was already set with cutlery, glasses and plates. A large bowl of salad sat in the middle next to a plate of fresh bread rolls and a jug of icy cold orange juice. "How do you like your steak?"

"Ummm...medium rare," Danny answered as he watched his boss place another piece of steak on the grill as he felt a small knot of dread form in his stomach at the thought of the targeted two guests Steve had invited for dinner the day they had 'purchased' the house. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Answer the door." McGarrett grinned as the front doorbell rung, "It sounds like our dinner guests have arrived already. Word won't take long to spread that there are new neighbors."

Danny swallowed hard and nodded as he turned to walk back inside, "I guess it's show time."

"Danno," Steve's soft call stopped the younger man and he waited until Danny turned back and looked at him, "I would have been surprised if they were not interested in us. I know you can do this."

The young detective smiled and nodded as he turned back to answer the door. If Steve believed that he could carry out the role, it gave him a renewed confidence within himself that he could as well. Danny padded out of the kitchen and across the living room to emerge into the entrance hallway. He rested his hand on the doorknob for a few moments to collect his composure before he plunged himself into this next persona, into a world where he was nothing but a fictitious construct. This was like a Hollywood movie but with higher stakes where so many things could go wrong. Schooling his features into something amiable, he wretched the heavy wooden door open, to come face to face with two people.

"Hello," he greeted cordially, "you must be Boris and Wilhem. Nice to meet you both, won't you please come in?" he stepped aside so the two men could walk in, before closing the door with a dull thud.

"Hi," the one named Wilhem greeted warmly. Danny felt distinctly uncomfortable when the man's dark blue gaze raked up and down the length of his body, as if assessing him. Things were further compounded by the fact that the two men were wearing very sophisticated Armani suits with matching crisp white shirts and complimentary silk ties that undoubtedly were more expensive than Danny's entire wardrobe. His best suit, which he happened to be wearing at the moment, had nothing on these. He allowed his eyes to drink in the sight of the two men in front of him.

"Thanks for inviting us for dinner," the shorter one, Boris, interjected. He was very exotic looking, with olive skin and dark green eyes and black curly hair that shone under the light from the chandelier above. There was something very aquiline about his appearance and Danny found himself reminded strongly of predatory cats.

"Indeed, it's always good to get to know the neighbors," Wilhem added surveying the surroundings. For all of Boris' distinctive exoticness, Wilhem was a contradiction in plain aristocratic elegance. There was no doubt that the man was handsome; people could swoon over his deep navy blue eyes which bordered on purple, the straight European nose, chiseled jaw and platinum hair. "We brought you a housewarming present."

From his stylishly Italian leather attaché case he extracted a bottle of fine cognac wrapped with a little red velvet bow on it and handed it to Danny. He allowed himself to peer at the bottle in his hands. While he was no fine wine connoisseur, he was able to recognize that it was indeed very expensive.

"Thank you very much." He said automatically, "Please make yourselves at home," he waved his hand in the general direction of the monstrosity of the leather sofa, "I shall go and put this in the wine bar and see how dinner is coming along. That should give you a chance to meet Steve. Won't be long."

"Sure, you do what you have to," Wilhem replied. And was it just him, or did the man's gaze linger on Danny's for a fraction more than what was friendly and considered normal?

"I'm looking forward to meeting, Steve," Boris added as Danny walked briskly over to the wine bar on the other side before disappearing into the kitchen. It was not exactly the most dignified exit he could have made but at least he fully avoided flat out running out of there.

Leaning across and softly running his hand up and down his partner's upper leg, Wilhem smiled. "See, told you the younger one was cute. By the tan and his muscles, I would say he is a surfer boy who loves playing in the water." He grinned when Boris growled with jealousy, "But I think you will find Steve is more to your liking." He whispered playfully.

Before Boris could respond to his lover's playful teasing, they were interrupted as a tall dark haired man emerged through the open lanai doors with his arm wrapped around the younger man's waist. "Hello," he greeted them warmly as he released Danny and stepped across with his hand outstretched to shake both of his guests' hands in welcome. "I am so glad that you could join us for dinner tonight. It is wonderful to meet and get to know our new neighbors."

Reaching for the tall man's hand, Boris smiled at the firm handshake, holding Steve's hand for a fraction longer than necessary, "I am really looking forward to getting to know both of you. Wilhem was so excited that we were getting new members in our small community."

"We're very happy to finally find such a close knit community where everyone is so nice and accepting, despite our, ah, differences," Steve quipped, raising his eyebrow in a meaningful manner as an arm snaked around Danny's hip to pull him closer as actions spoke volumes louder than words ever could. The young man played his part well, ducking his head and flushing slightly.

"Of course, we're very glad for you both too." Wilhem added, his lip curling "Why deny the heart what it wants?"

McGarrett gently cupped Danny's chin in his hand and raised the young man's face up towards his own and kissed him softly on the lips before he turned back and smiled at his guests who were grinning as they watched them. "The steaks are almost ready, shall we go out onto the lanai."

"Let's." Wilhem agreed eagerly as he followed the couple outside.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Dark Side of Paradise**

By jenthetrulysly and traw

**Chapter 2**

Waiting until Boris and Wilhem settled, Danny poured each of their guests a glass of wine before filling his own glass. He then poured some orange juice into Steve's.

Boris frowned at the fruit juice, glancing at his partner before he looked across at Steve. "Not drinking?" he sneered.

Looking up from the steaks he was removing from the grill, McGarrett smiled. "No, I don't drink, orange juice is good enough for me. Please enjoy your wine though." Steve told him cordially as he placed the platter of steaks onto the table and sat down next to Dan. "Wilhem was telling me the other day that you have just moved here recently from the mainland."

"Washington...Washington D.C., in fact." Wilhem volunteered as he picked up the platter and forked one of the pieces of steak onto his own plate.

Accepting the platter of steaks that Wilhem passed to him, Boris cast a quick, angry glare at his lover before he turned back to his hosts and smiled. "But we decided to try some island living to see what it is like. We found this little spot in paradise and have decided to stay."

After Danny and Steve had taken their respective steaks off the platter, they all began to tuck into the food. Jameson had indeed spared no expense because the steaks were Wagyu beef if the light marbling was anything to go by, and the salad fresh and crisp.

"How are you finding island living so far?" Steve began as he cut an inch square from his steak, "No one who has come here wants to leave, because of the abundance, of, ah, opportunities. There are countless pleasures to be had from these fine sandy shores."

"We haven't been on the islands long enough to make a valid judgment." Wilhem answered as he picked up his glass of wine to take a sip. "However, from what we've seen so far things are indeed very much to our liking."

"Oh, how long is that?" Danny asked after he had finished his mouthful of salad. "It doesn't take much time to get an impression of these islands. Basically what you see is what you get, in most cases."

"Certainly not long enough to make a valid judgment, no" Boris chimed in as he picked up his napkin to dab at a non-existent smudge at the corner of his mouth. He took a sip and continuing, "but we have discovered some of the pleasures on these shores that Steve has mentioned."

Irritation bubbled in Danny at the plainly lustful manner in which the smaller, exotic man was eyeing Steve. The dark haired detective looked the very picture of grace at the moment as he elegantly lifted a small morsel of meat to his mouth.. It was simply inexcusable!

The man in question smiled that smile of his, the one designed to charm the pants off women during investigations as he eyed their almost empty glasses, "Would either of you like some more wine?"

"Yes, please." Wilhem nodded enthusiastically as he passed his lifted his nearly glass towards Dan in a silent invitation to fill it up.

Lifting the decanter, Danny jumped a little as he felt Wilhem's shoe rub against his leg. Looking across at the older man, the small excited twinkle in the other man's eyes got much brighter as his foot rose a little higher and travelled along Danny's thigh. Moving his chair back and rising to his feet Danny was unable to stop a small victorious grin from flickering across his face as he heard Wilhem's foot drop to the ground. "Excuse me." he said, smiling innocently as he moved around the table and refilled Boris' glass before filling Wilhem's. Walking around to Steve's chair, he lightly ran his hand across his boss' shoulders before he sat back down.

Uncertain of what had just happened but sensing something had just occurred between his Second-In-Command and the man leering at him from across the table, Steve reached for Danny's hand and interlaced their fingers, lightly squeezing them. He looked lovingly at the younger man while silently warning him to cool his impulsive temper. The covert warning had its desired effect as he felt Danny's tense hand relax slightly beneath his own. He slowly released the breath he was holding as Danny smiled and asked their guests, "Have you checked out the beaches yet?"

The leer on Wilhem's face grew as he leaned back in his chair and eyed the curly haired man. "No I haven't but I have the feeling that I should. I gather you surf?"

"Every chance I get." the younger man answered with a grin.

"That's how we met." Steve smiled as he tenderly squeezed Danny's hand, "My bank had sponsored a surfing event on the North Shore. I was to go along and make sure we were getting our money's worth when I spotted Danny. He was one of the surfers out on the waves, and I just couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was one of the best surfers I have ever seen, in more ways than one. I arranged to meet him afterwards as part of the conditions for the bank's continuing sponsorship." Steve grinned as he released Danny's hand and placed his hand on Danny's thigh beneath the table, aware that the two men sitting opposite were watching them closely and could see what he was doing through the glass table. "A few glasses of wine as we got to know each other a little better..." He smiled, as his fingers glided higher, lightly stroking Danny. He felt Danny tense at his touch, but his young Second-in-Command covered his discomfort well as Danny turned slightly towards him, opening his legs a little wider as he placed his own hand on Steve's leg and squeezed. "Well… let's just say… my bank is quite happy to continue to sponsor future surfing events." Steve said as he continued his ministrations.

"I'm sure your bank is." Wilhem answered breathlessly as he watched Steve's fingers through the table, his own hand moving to Boris' lap.

Steve could feel how tense Danny was at that moment, and his admiration for the young detective went up by several notches. Danny had kept his features carefully schooled to keep his discomfort hidden, his movements easy and light. He was doing the best that he could in these circumstances. That was something very hard to do in itself. Steve squeezed Danny's thigh, a gentle action of reassurance and support before he removed his hand and focused to consuming the rest of his meal.

"It's very hard to afford a house in this area." Wilhem noted idly as he resumed his meal. "They are completely unaffordable to normal people."

"Unaffordable to normal people but not for my father." Danny smiled as he momentarily paused from cutting a small piece of his steak and looked across at the older man. "He was happy to buy me this just to keep me out of his hair."

"I gather that your parents are comfortably off?" Boris asked casually as he picked up the glass of wine and took a delicate sip.

The younger man laughed derisively as he placed his fork down on his plate and winked. "Let's just say that my parents will never have to worry about money. The interest on their money grows faster than they can spend it." He shrugged as he picked up the glass of wine in front of him and swallowed it in one large gulp before he looked angrily out at the ocean. "And they make sure that I always have just enough to keep me out of their lives!"

Placing his arm protectively around his young partner's shoulders, Steve pulled him closer and lightly kissed the top of his head before he whispered softly into the sandy curls, "They may want you to stay out of their lives, but you will always be in my mine." Wilhem's hand tightened on his lover's thigh as they watched Danny lift his face to Steve's and their lips met. Gently entangling his fingers into Danny's curls, Steve held him firmly as his tongue encouraged Danny to open his mouth.

Danny stiffened at the sensation but he forced himself to relax and opened his mouth just enough to let Steve kiss him, acutely aware that the other two men were scrutinising every move. The younger man resisted the overwhelming urge to break away and just stop everything, because this was incredibly wrong. Things were not supposed to end up like this. In the end though, he could hear Steve's gentle reminder of the importance of this undercover assignment echo in his mind, so he reined in most of his squeamishness and opened his mouth a little more for Steve.

The man in question felt this small yet significant gesture, and gently probed his tongue inside Danny's mouth as they kissed for a few moments. A strong hand came up behind the young detective's back to pull him a bit closer to complete the image of perfect contentment. At the end when they finally broke apart, they turned to their audience, who looked rather pleased and smug. Steve didn't need to look at Danny right now to be able to tell that the man was flushing deeply; he could feel the waves of heat rolling off the other detective's body. Straightening back up in his chair, Danny's blush deepened as he saw Wilhem leering at him. The blatantly hungry look in the other man's eyes sent a ripple of disgust through the younger man's soul, but Steve's warm hand that still rested on his back reassured him that no matter what the sleazeball sitting opposite him was thinking, Steve had his back.

Sensing his friend's deep discomfort over what had just occurred as well as the way that Wilhem was openly undressing him with his eyes, Steve gently gave Dan's back a small reassuring rub. He looked across at his guests and politely asked, "Would either of you gentlemen care for some dessert and coffee? We have some homemade apple pie and ice cream."

"We would love some." Boris answered cordially as he firmly removed his lover's hand from his lap and looked expectantly towards his partner.

Glancing back at him, Wilhem sighed at the look of irritation in the other man's eyes before he returned his attention back to their hosts and forced a small smile. "Yes, please."

Rising quickly to his feet, Danny began to clear their dinner plates as he looked gratefully towards his boss and volunteered, "I will get it, Steve."

Unable to stop a small smile from tugging at his lips, McGarrett nodded as he watched Danny's hasty retreat back into the kitchen before turning back to the two men and saying quietly, "Please excuse Danny, he's young and gets a little uncomfortable around people that we don't know." Picking up the decanter, he nodded towards the empty wine glasses as he asked, "Would you like some more wine?"

**H50H50H50H50**

Reaching the kitchen, Danny glanced towards the lanai to reassure himself that the men outside could not see him before he collapsed against the counter and swallowed hard. Rubbing his trembling hand over his curls, he swallowed down the hot bile that burned the back of his throat before he took a couple of deep, calming breaths. He wasn't sure if he could pull this off, and the thought of blowing this undercover assignment and disappointing Steve terrified him more then he cared to admit. He didn't know what to do. He jumped as a light hand touched his shoulder but relaxed when he heard a soft reassuring voice behind him say,

"Easy, Aikane, easy."

Danny found that for the moment he was unable to look Steve in the eye, given the way that they had been just a few moments before. They were standing close enough that he could smell Steve's cologne, which did absolutely nothing to stem the flood of memories of what they had just done. He had no idea if he would ever be able to look the man straight in the eye again. They had to work next to each other and go back to the status quo after this; Danny wasn't sure if they could. He loved being with Five-O, he truly did, but he was certain that some things could never be the same again. They hadn't even made it past the first stage of the undercover assignment and already Danny was having doubts.

He simply couldn't do it, couldn't go on with this.

Steve sensed Danny's discomfort and took a step back to give the man a modicum of personal space. He flicked his gaze briefly back to where Boris and Wilhem were sitting, glad that they were preoccupied for the moment. He turned his dark blue gaze back to Danny, who was resolutely staring at the kitchen floor. "Danno." he whispered softly, "Please look at me."

He wanted to raise a hand and lift the man's chin up, forcing Danny to meet his gaze, but that would be disastrous right now, so he settled for just waiting patiently as the young man collected his thoughts. It must have been the soft nature of his voice or the note of compassion there, for the younger man finally raised his head and the two detectives' gazes met.

"I'm sorry, Danny." Steve said softly. "Let's just get through this dinner, then we can talk."

Steve's concern helped to strengthen Danny's resolve, just a little. "I'm fine, Steve." he said defiantly as he crossed to the oven to take out the pie warming, then the ice cream from the freezer.

Steve gave his shoulder a squeeze in passing as he went to the counter to pour coffee into cups. "You're doing great so far." he reassured his partner, before they returned to their guests.

"Well, this looks delicious." Wilhem said, looking pointedly at Danny's face rather than the scrumptious food on the plates.

"Let me serve you." Steve interposed, smoothly taking the plates from Danny who returned to the kitchen for the rest.

When they were seated and enjoying their pie, Wilhem returned to the topic of surfing. "Do you go out often?" he asked Danny.

"As a matter of fact, we were going to go down to the neighborhood beach here tomorrow morning." Steve told him. "Danny gets to surf, and I get to watch." he said, with an affectionate glance at his partner.

"Yeah." Danny chimed in. "The reason I wanted my folks to buy in this neighborhood was for that beach—great surf and no tourists to compete with. Not many people know of its existence."

"Why don't you two join us tomorrow morning?" Steve invited.

Wilhem glanced at Boris, who shook his head minutely. "I'm afraid we may have another engagement," he said. "Some other time?"

"Of course." Steve said.

Picking up his cup of coffee, Danny held it in both hands, savouring its warmth as he looked across its rim and casually asked, "You both said you were businessmen, may I ask what business you're in?"

A small look of irritation flickered across the older man's face but was quickly hidden as he leaned back in his chair, "I guess you could call us jacks of all trades."

Lowering his cup a little Danny tilted his head slightly and frowned as he prodded a little more, "A jack of all trades?"

Boris studied him silently for a few minutes before he shrugged easily and laughed. "Honestly, our jobs are not that interesting. We dabble a little in the manufacturing and sales markets dealing with whatever is popular at that time."

"You're obviously successful at it." Danny challenged softly, "If you can afford to take several months off to live in Paradise."

Steve tensed as he watched both men bristle at Danny's observation but released the breath he was holding when Boris suddenly threw his head back and laughed.

Looking back at the young man who sat across from him, he grinned. "I guess you are right. I have never given it much thought." Glancing down at his watch, he gave a large theatrical yawn before he reached across and tapped Wilhem's arm before tilting his head towards the door. "Well, it's getting late. It has been...interesting...getting to know you both." he announced as he rose to his feet, slowly followed by Wilhem.

"It's been a pleasure to meet you both." Steve replied as both he and Danny stood up to walk their guests out.

"We should get together again for drinks tomorrow." Boris suggested as he shook Steve's proffered hand, holding it longer then was socially polite and lightly caressing it with his thumb. The bright glint in his green eyes spoke louder than words.

"Maybe next time we can get to know each other a little better." Wilhem whispered in Danny's ear as he sidled closer and placed his hand low on the detective's back. The younger man forced himself not to jump as he casually stepped out of the man's reach.

Steve moved to put himself bodily between Danny and Wilhem. It wasn't a frightening gesture, but it was one which clearly indicated the dark haired detective's recognition of all of Wilhem's advances on Danny; a physical reminder of the fact that Danny was his and his alone.

Boris' eyes flickered briefly between Steve and Wilhem, a satisfied smile gracing his features at the degree of separation between his lover and Danny. The look became sultry when his gaze moved to Steve, who looked the spitting image of a lover defending his own from the unwanted advances of another. Already the man was looking forward to getting home and having some time alone with Wilhem to remind him exactly whom he belonged to. "I had a very good time tonight," he said finally, grinning good naturedly.

"I sincerely hope we can do this again. Goodnight, gentlemen."

"Likewise." Danny replied in a slightly forced jovial tone. "We look forward to having you over for dinner again soon."

"Night." Steve said.

"See you soon." Wilhem said. The two detectives watched the retreating backs of the two men as they walked down the front pathway before disappearing out of the gate, blending in with the darkness of the night. Only when the front door was firmly closed did Danny sigh audibly and run a hand through his hair. Steve blew out a breath he had been holding as he considered how things had panned out. Overall, it had gone well; they had made a somewhat good impression on the neighbours who were definitely involved with the LST drug production ring if their veiled statements earlier were anything to go by. They had also acquired a promise of more plans and time in each other's company, which was more than they had hoped for prior to this.

Danny was still staring blankly at the door clearly lost in the tumultuous nature of his thoughts. The dull flush that had never quite disappeared completely returned in full force, staining his cheeks bright crimson. It didn't necessarily take strong powers of deduction to figure out exactly what the young man was thinking about. If left to his own devices, Steve was sure that the younger man would have spent most of the evening brooding over this and any issues he had with the assignment. Now was not the time for regrets nor was it the time to indulge in such uselessly morose thoughts.

"Come on, Danno." Steve said into the silence, "let's get started on the dishes."

Turning back towards the kitchen, Danny silently nodded before he followed his boss out to the lanai and began to clear the table.

Covertly watching his Second-In-Command, Steve sighed. Unless he could work out some way to help Danno become more comfortable in his role as a homosexual partner, this undercover assignment was doomed.

He paused and rubbed his hand slowly over his face in thought as he watched Danny pick up the plates and walk robotically back into the kitchen. 'But how?'


	3. Chapter 3

**The Dark Side of Paradise**

_By jenthetrulysly and traw_

**Chapter 3**

The idea occurred to the lead detective as he was drying his hands on a kitchen towel. Making up his mind, he hung it back up on its hook and turned around to see where the young man was. They needed to talk things through properly if this undercover operation had any chance of success. Dan's reactions to their dinner guests tonight could be explained by initial meeting nervousness, but it couldn't be used for long. They needed a better solution, and Steve believed that if he could get Danny to understand the importance of this assignment and stop his discomfort, then it was very definitely possible. He had every confidence that they would be able to sort out Dan's discomfort. They had worked through some truly horrible cases together and the one thing he could count on was his Second-In-Command's ability to see reason.

Taking a deep breath, he began to approach the sofa where the young man in question was reclining against the cushions, apparently watching television. The dark haired detective took a few moments to observe Danny. The younger man gave off an air of being relaxed and to the casual observer he looked the picture of someone settling down for an evening in front of the television, but Steve knew better. The stillness of his body and the unseeing look in those clear blue eyes indicated that his thoughts were far away from what was happening on the screen; they were still on the events that had just transpired.

The Second-In-Command barely acknowledged it when the dark haired detective went to sit next to him. With a sigh, McGarrett laced his fingers together before he cleared his throat and said seriously, "Danno, we need to talk."

It was a few moments before the younger man answered with a sigh of his own. "I know," he admitted as he ran his hand over his sandy curls before he looked his boss, "I blew it!"

The urge to reassure his friend that he had not endangered the assignment tonight was pushed aside as McGarrett drew a deep breath and frowned. He took a few moments to choose his next words carefully, "You didn't blow it Danno, but you did risk blowing our covers tonight with your reactions." he began as he turned to face his detective, "This time I managed to explain your reactions away as shyness, next time we might not be so lucky."

"Steve, I'm-"

"I know you didn't mean to jeopardize the case but we can't risk such a mistake happening again." Steve interrupted him firmly. "I understand how difficult this is for you Danno, really I do. It's not easy pretending to be something that you are not, but you're a cop...a cop who is undercover. I know we didn't have much time to prepare for this case..."

A small nervous laugh erupted from the younger man as he suddenly stood up and walked across to the closed glass lanai doors, looking out into the darkness before he spun around, "How were we suppose to prepare for a case like this Steve?" he asked incredulously, "How were we supposed to practice to get into the role of lovers?"

"Danno!"

"No Steve...okay I almost blew it tonight, but just how am I supposed to act? How?"

"Like an undercover cop!" McGarrett growled. Swallowing down his anger, Steve lowered his voice but not the intensity as he added, "Like a cop who is undercover as my homosexual lover because that's the type of people we are dealing with, anything less and we will blow it! There will be times when we will have to kiss and touch intimately and appear to be comfortable with it. I need to know tonight if I can rely on you to do that?"

"You need to know, if you can trust me enough?"

Steve's eyes widened as he realized how his words had hurt his young friend. This wasn't the way he had wanted the discussion to go nor was it what he was trying to say. He quickly tried to reassure Danno that was not what he meant. They were on dangerous ground and he knew it. "Danno, that's not what I am saying."

"Isn't it, Steve?" Danny asked quietly, his blue eyes blazing with anger.

Some part of him was aware things could get very ugly, but he pushed on regardless. Danny had obviously read into things and Steve had to correct the young man before things got out of hand. This matter of trust had nothing to do with Dan's character; he trusted Danno with his life but he needed to know if the younger man could carry out the this undercover role when it came down to it. Since it was their lives and the outcome of the operation at stake here, he had to be sure. It was just another assignment and it should be treated like any other.

He had to get through to the young man at all costs and tried to keep his voice carefully level with his next words, "Danno, this is not about whether or not I trust you." Taking a breath, he tried to continue in the same steady voice, but it got a bit louder at the end, "This is about whether or not you can carry out this assignment! Of course I trust you! I would trust you with my life if it came down to it."

"If you do trust me," Dan shot back, "why all of this? You clearly have doubts as to whether I can carry out the job. How do I prove to you that I want this undercover operation to succeed, just as much as you do? What EXACTLY do I have to do?"

"I want you act normally," Steve retorted, before he abruptly stood up and moved to the lanai, where he leaned against the frame. He turned to look at the man beside him, "There should be none of this discomfort. I shouldn't have to remind you of how closely they are watching us, waiting for us to slip up!"

"Steve..." Danny began, but the lead detective continued relentlessly paying no heed to his words, such that all he could do was wait for McGarrett to finish.

"Did you not see how closely we were being watched this evening? We need to be able to fall seamlessly into our roles, such that a normal person wouldn't be able to tell us apart from who we are meant to be. Tonight your performance was not good enough. They got suspicious. I had to make excuses for you, and pray that they bought it." The lead detective paused for a few moments as he collected his breath before continuing, glaring at Dan, "You have to stop letting it get to you! You are a cop on an undercover assignment, you can't AFFORD to let it get to you!"

Danny was furious by the time the other man finished. "Fine! Tell me EXACTLY how homosexual lovers are meant to act." The anger dissipated substantially with the next bit, leaving behind a weary sense of defeat. "Or better yet, tell me how I am supposed to cope. How would you take it if one day your boss told you out of the blue, that you had to go undercover on an assignment like this. I'm not gay, so how am I supposed to feel about all of this?"

The sudden change in his Second-In-Command's voice hit McGarrett like a proverbial sucker punch, and he was left reeling by the revelation. Any irritation and frustration that Steve was feeling instantly melted away as he stared into the eyes of his closest friend. Of course, there was anger, confusion and hurt like he had expected, but there was also a vulnerability there that haunted him.

Looking across at Danno, Steve felt his heart sink as the younger man turned back to stare out of the door at the darkness of the night beyond. Even though only a few short feet separated them physically, it felt like they were worlds apart. He had to do something to try and bridge the gulf that now lay between them, not only to save this case but their friendship as well.

Stepping across to where his Second-In-Command now stood, McGarrett lightly placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze as he murmured, "I'm sorry Danno, I know this has not been easy for you."

Danny nodded as he continued to stare out at the darkness. "I'll try harder Steve." He promised softly before he sighed heavily and turned, unable to look McGarrett in the face as quietly announced, "It's been a long day. I think I might go to bed."

The dark haired detective nodded silently as Danny brushed past him and hurried towards the stairs. It was a few moments before Steve shook his head in quiet self-reproach. He should never have agreed with the Governor to rush into such a difficult undercover operation without making sure Danny was prepared adequately. It was clear that the young man was trying his best but it wasn't good enough. It was obvious that the very personal and intimate nature of this assignment was something that he had never come across before. Being undercover didn't stop a cop from feeling fear, and just then, he realised that his best intentions had done more damage than initially thought between them.

He watched the retreating back of his Aikane, wondering how his outburst had affected the young man, and just how he was going to resolve all the tension and misunderstandings between them. McGarrett was sorely tempted to call out and make the young man stop and listen to what he wanted to say, but that was likely to widen the gaping chasm between them, so he resisted.

With a heavy heart, he hurried up the stairs to their bedroom, where sleep would be an unattainable luxury tonight.

**H50H50H50H50**

Steve slipped carefully out of bed, trying hard not to wake his partner and padded downstairs to the kitchen. He felt that fixing Danny breakfast could somehow start to make amends, or give them something to distract themselves from what had happened the night before.

He himself didn't usually eat a large breakfast, and he realized to his chagrin that he had no idea what Danny usually ate. Deciding on a global approach, he used contents of the well-stocked refrigerator to make an elaborate spread of French toast, bacon, and sausage. He was wondering how Danny liked his eggs when the man himself came into the kitchen. Steve took a small measure of pride as he watched the younger man's expression change to one of surprise at his culinary efforts.

Quickly grabbing one of the mugs he had put on the breakfast nook, the dark haired detective began to pour some coffee in an attempt to cover up the sudden nervousness that rippled though his body before he looked up and he smiled. "Morning, Danno, just take a seat out on the lanai, breakfast is almost ready."

Steve's heart sunk when Danny nodded silently and turned towards the table set outside. The younger man had not been able to look at or even speak to him. He truly began to fear just how much damage he had caused with his loss of control the evening before. It had seemed a good idea at the time after he had noticed just how uncomfortable Danny was with the intimate contact necessary to pull off this charade.

When sleep evaded him the dark haired detective had pulled all the case files they had available on this community. Dread bloomed following a quick perusal of all the sketchy information available. After an intense background search of Wilhem, Boris and the other known members of this tightly bound community, Steve was acutely aware that anything less than a perfect performance of being an intimate and swinging homosexual couple could blow their covers. The stakes were too high already, as several known members had disappeared without a trace.

McGarrett was determined to do everything he could to ensure that this operation went smoothly. Especially with the added danger that if things turned sour there would be no back up, no one rushing in. The Governor had insisted that this undercover operation be done covertly; not even the other two members of the Five-O team were to be told about the clandestine operation. Any objections that the lead Five-O detective voiced were quickly squashed by the two small words of "National Security" and a reminder that the people they were investigating held high positions within the White House. No one was sure just how high this moral and legal corruption went up the chain and they had to find out.

Still, the guilt and regret of what happened the night before tugged at the dark haired detective's heart. All he had tried to do was make Danny feel a little more comfortable with the idea of being touched by another man, someone who Danno had said that he trusted with his very life. But it had ended up failing spectacularly as he let his sense of duty come close to overriding their friendship.

Serving out the food onto the warmed plates, McGarrett found that his hands were shaking. He snuck a glance at the man sitting out on the lanai staring out over the ocean, and wondered just what he was going to say. Drawing a deep shuddering breath, Steve placed the plates and the two steaming mugs of coffee onto a tray before he picked it up and headed out to the lanai. He still with no idea of how he was going to explain himself for the angry, misdirected outburst at his friend.

Placing the heavy tray onto the table next to his aikane, Steve silently put the warm plates on their placemat settings. He barely restrained himself from sighing audibly at Danny's lack of response. Pulling out his chair, Steve sat down and waited for Danny to turn towards the table to eat, but the younger man seemed lost in a world of his own.

"Danno," Steve said softly as he reached across the table and lightly touched Danny's arm, forcing a small smile to cover up the desperation he felt to make things right, he nodded towards the food and said softly, "Breakfast, Aikane."

The young detective moved to pick up his knife and fork, and began to tuck into his food. Sighing audibly this time, Steve mirrored Danny's actions and began to eat. The silence was deafening between them, the clatter of silverware was too loud for comfort. The soft sounds of the ocean should have been soothing, but they reminded him that there was something very important they had to discuss.

Having had enough, Steve delicately laid his knife and fork down. This awkwardness between them had gone on long enough and it had to stop here. Danny, having noticed that Steve had stopped eating, laid his knife and fork down as well before he turned his expectant clear blue gaze towards McGarrett, waiting. It was good that Danny was willing to give him the time of day, and he was very grateful.

"Danny…" Steve began, only to falter. He looked into those eyes and hoped against all odds that the other man would understand, could understand all the things that had to be said.

Danny sighed as his eyes softened, the edge of tension dissipating from his body. "I know." There were a few more beats of silence before Danny continued, his voice somewhat back to its normal vibrancy. "So, are we going surfing today, then?"

Steve was glad for a break when it came. "You will be," he said softly, allowing a small smile to break across his face before he glanced down at his watch and frowned, "But we better get a move on. I'm sure Wilhem and Boris will be heading there soon."

"Do you really think they will turn up?" Danny asked as he resumed eating, spiking a piece of French toast onto his fork before placing it into his mouth.

McGarrett nodded as he picked up his mug of coffee and looked over the rim at his partner before reminding him softly, "They will be checking out every move that we make and test us continually. We can't afford to make a slip, Danno, our lives depend upon just how well we pull this off."

It was on the tip of his tongue to apologize for his outburst last night, but given what they were about to embark on, it probably was the last thing Dan needed right now. They could not afford any distractions out there on the beach today.

Making up his mind, the lead detective began to rise from the table, "Come on, we better get going," he ordered, confident his Second-In-Command would follow.

**H50H50H50H50**

Steve pulled the Chrysler onto the gravel parking area fronting the secluded beach. As Danny unfastened his board from the roof rack, he was heartened to see that the younger man looked more relaxed and carefree than he had seen since they went undercover. The silence that stretched as they walked across the sand was almost back to their usual companionable state. To anyone that was watching, it looked like two close friends heading out for a day at the beach.

After they spread their towels on the sand, Danny slipped out of his shirt and board shorts before he seized his surfboard. He was itching to get into the water, but managed to ask with no small trace of amusement, "Steve, are you going in at all?" looking pointedly at the detective's long-sleeved flowered aloha shirt and white slacks.

"I think I'll watch from here," his dark haired boss told him, before lowering himself gracefully onto the towel.

"Suit yourself!" Danny said with his usual cheeky grin before he raced into the breaking swells, his surfboard in hand.

Steve settled down on his beach towel for a few moments before the heat of the morning sun disappeared as a shadow loomed over him. He pushed his sunglasses up on his head at the sight of Boris and Wilhem, identical saccharine smiles plastered on their faces. "Morning, gentlemen," he greeted cordially, as he rose to his feet and eyed the two men in front of him, who looked like they were getting ready for a fun day out at the beach.

"Morning," Boris echoed, as he allowed his eyes to roam hungrily over the man who stood in front of him. Steve noted that only Wilhem was carrying a surfboard, "it was simply too much to miss out on, all this wonderful weather," the younger man continued, smiling somewhat predatorily, "A day at the beach was too much to pass on."

"Indeed," Wilhem added, as his eyes flicked down to the second beach towel next to Steve's. He raised a hand to his forehead and scanned the area, "I see your wonderful partner is nowhere to be seen. I hope I didn't make him that uncomfortable yesterday evening."

Steve allowed a small hint of jealousy to color his voice. "No, he's out there, on the waves." The dark haired detective looked past the two men, out towards the ocean. Soon enough, they turned away from him, and the three men stood in the morning breeze to watch Danny.

"He rides well," Wilhem noted, grinning, as he continued to watch Danny, "the circuit is really missing out."

"Their loss, my gain." McGarrett replied nonchalantly, as he observed the young man out on the waves for a few more moments, before directing his gaze back to the two men in front of him. "Do you get to surf much?"

"I don't," Boris chimed in, "but Wilhem does. He's pretty good at it." The smaller man shrugged, his eyes never wavered from the tube that Danny had just disappeared into, "But I have to admit I am not as good as he is. Why doesn't he turn pro? He seems to have the talent for it."

McGarrett's face beamed with pride as he turned back to watch Danny re- emerge from the collapsing tube of water before suddenly flicking his board in a different direction to deftly catch a new and larger wave that barreled towards the shore. "They tried to coax him but he decided he wanted to stay with me."

The dark haired detective did not miss the quick glance exchanged between the two men standing beside him but remained silent as he watched his partner surf. He rarely had the chance to see his friend participate in his favorite pastime and had even gone as far as to forbid him from surfing the big waves. He honestly believed that they were exposed to enough risks during the job as things were, and that there was no need to add another risk to the ones they faced.

For a moment he regretted never taking more interest in his Second-In-Command's favorite sport. He held his breath in a combination of awe and fear, transfixed by the way Danno sliced down the front of a towering wave, almost as if daring the wall of water to try and crush him before darting back up the wave's face again. "Wow!" the soft unconscious whisper of admiration slipped past Steve's lips as he watched his friend surf.

For the first time in two days, Danny allowed all his fears about the case to disappear. His fingers danced playfully with the powerful wall of water beside him as he enjoyed the sheer force of the wave. He was able to forget the guilt and shame about what had happened last night for a moment. Here he felt completely in control of his fate.

Topping the crest of the current wave, he glanced towards the shoreline as he began to maneuver his board into the next one. However, his heart sank when he saw the two men standing with Steve. Even from this distance he could feel Wilhem watching him, and shuddered at how the man was mentally undressing him with his eyes. The memory of the sleazy business man's foot rubbing suggestively against his thigh made Danny feel nauseous, and he could feel the man's sweaty hand as it slid down his back, touching him intimately before he was able to step out of reach.

He felt the wave catch his board but before he was able to compensate he found himself being thrown violently through the air before hitting the unforgiving water, the impact slamming the air from his lungs. He fought to stop himself from tumbling mercilessly along the fine coral sand bottom, his vision turning grey as his body screamed for life giving air.

"Danno!" Steve yelled in horror as Danny's surfboard was catapulted high into the air before it crashed back down into the churning water his friend had tumbled beneath just moments before.

"He's wiped out!" Wilhem gasped as he turned and grabbed his own surfboard and ran towards the water with McGarrett close on his heels.

"No, let Wilhem get him," Boris said calmly as he grabbed the panicked man by his shoulders, preventing Steve from following Wilhem into the water. "He can reach your young man faster on the surfboard, and he hasn't got time to rescue you as well. Those waves out there are high. No place for a swimmer. Wilhem knows the water."

Shrugging out of the shorter man's firm hold, Steve stood silently on the sand staring out at the ocean, anxiously searching for some sign of his young friend as he whispered desperately into the wind, "Come on, Danno, where are you?"


	4. Chapter 4

Wilhem paddled hard to the general area where he had seen the young surfer disappear, quickly scanning the surrounding ocean and the rapidly churning water. A dark shape tumbling and rolling beneath the waves caught his attention. Taking a deep breath, he dove into the water and kicked strongly, propelling himself towards the shape. As he got closer the shape sharpened into Danny's weakly flailing form near the ocean floor. With a determined kick of his legs, he reached the semi-conscious surfer and grabbed him around the chest securely. He ignored the confused young man's panicked struggling to break free as he pushed off the sandy bottom with his feet to guide them quickly to the surface and fresh air.

As they broke through the surface of the water relief flooded him as Danny gasped for air, trying to greedily draw as much as he could into his oxygen starved lungs. The soft gasps turned into harsh coughs and splutters as the waves continued to wash over them. Aware that his surfboard had probably washed back to shore, Wilhem firmly placed an arm around the exhausted man's chest before pulling Danny close. The European then began to swim strongly towards the shore, doing his best to keep the limp man's head above the water as much as possible as the waves continued to try and push them back out to sea.

"He's got him." Boris announced as he saw his partner swimming back towards the shore towing the sandy-haired surfer.  
"Thank God!" Steve breathed as he ran down into the water, reaching for Danny's arm and placing it securely around his shoulder before snaking his other one around his partner's waist. Wilhem stood up in the waist deep water and did the same on the other side. Between them, they helped get Danny back onto the shore as Boris quickly moved ahead and straightened the towel for them to place Dan on. The two men carefully eased the young man onto the towel as Boris knelt behind him, helping him to sit up as coughing spasms racked his body curled onto itself while he gasped for breath.

"Easy Danno, easy," Steve whispered as he rubbed his partner's back, his own hand shaking from the fear of almost losing his closest friend. "Just breathe Aikane, nice and slow."

Danny nodded breathlessly as he reached for his boss' arm to steady himself as more painful coughs racked his body and he struggled to bring his breathing under control. After a few moments his breathing slowly calmed down as his heart rate settled. Blinking the saltwater out of his eyes he tried figure out what had exactly happened out on the waves. As the last of his vicious coughing spasms subsided he gained a better understanding of what just happened. He had been riding that wave until he had caught sight of Wilhem and the way the other man had been undressing him with his eyes, which gleamed with lust in the bright light of day. That had caused him to temporarily lose concentration, and the rest was history. Annoyance began to bubble up in him, because surfing had always been an escape for him, when the cases got too long or when he just needed to get away. It was bad enough that Steve had forbade him from taking part in it, but this was ridiculous.

He looked past Steve and saw an unfamiliar surfboard spiked on the sand near them. It didn't take much logic to deduce that one of them, most probably Wilhem, surfed. Great, that meant that for the duration of this assignment, he wouldn't be able to indulge in one of his favourite pastimes in solitude. That was a more depressing thought than he would ever admit it to be. Surfing was now a tool used in this operation; it could no longer act as an escape. He gripped Steve's arm a little tighter as he pushed himself into an upright position, trying to crush the rising tide of anger and sadness that rose to the fore. He flicked his gaze back to Steve and was taken back abruptly by the worry and anxiety etched into the older detective's face as those piercing blue eyes searched for any sign of discomfort.

"You just wiped out, Danno," Steve said softly in way of explanation. "Are you alright?"

Before Danny could even compose a response as a shadow fell over his forehead and he felt the lead detective's hand brush a strand of errant hair away from his face. Then Steve began to look for bruises and scratches, taking great care to be as gentle as possible. The touch was fleeting and very gentle, showing a soft side to the detective that was often overlooked, and he felt the beginnings of a smile tug at the corners of his lips. However, but it dissipated as soon as he saw Wilhelm staring intently at him, waiting. He didn't need to look behind him to know that Boris would be watching each movement like a hawk; he could practically feel it. They were both under intense scrutiny, and what it was clear that what happened next could make or break the deal.

"I'm fine, Steve, just a little winded." Danny said quietly, "But I'll be alright."

"You're not hurt anywhere, are you? Do we need to call a doctor?" Steve asked worriedly. He brought a hand to rest gently on Danny's shoulder, a gesture that he had done countless times, on countless cases before as a gesture of comfort. He only hoped that the young man would interpret it that way.  
It seemed that he could, and the young detective appreciated it much more than he could admit. "I'm fine," he repeated as he began to laugh. "It's going to take a lot more than a wave to do me in!"  
"Well, he certainly _seems_fine," Boris interjected. "Barely a scratch on him. Wilhem got to him in time, thank goodness."

Danny looked at Wilhem, and made sure that his face was arranged into an acceptable expression of gratitude. The heat in his cheeks was purely coincidental. "Thank you."  
"And I want to thank you as well," Steve added, as he smiled at Wilhelm. "You saved Danno's life and that means a lot to me."

"Would you like us to accompany you back to your house and help make sure that he is alright?" Boris offered solicitously as he stepped forward and grabbed the young surfer's arm as Danny began to sway unsteadily on his feet.

"No, we're fine. I can take care of him but thank you." Steve smiled politely as he felt Danny tense up at the suggestion. "Now if you excuse us, I would really like to get him home."

Stepping aside to allow the two men to pass, Boris watched as Steve carefully helped Danny across the sand to where their car was parked while Wilhelm gathered their towels and Danny's surfboard before trailing behind them.

Picking up their own belongings, Boris slowly followed. He caught up in time to see Wilhem wave cheerfully at the two in car before spotting him and making his way back. Boris took a few more steps before he joined his lover at the edge of the road and they watched their neighbors drive away. After a few moments, Wilhem turned to look appraisingly at the shorter man.

"Well what do you think?" Wilhelm asked him quietly as the car disappeared out of sight over the crest of the hill.

"They seem legit." Boris answered slowly. "But there's something a bit off about Danny."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Steve carefully eased Danny down onto the leather sofa and silently began to examine the abrasions and cuts that marred his partner's body. He was alarmed at the dark bruises that were beginning to form on Danny's chest, back and the side of his face. "Are you sure you don't need Doc?" he asked again.

Danny smiled, warmed by his Boss' concern and shook his head. "No I'm fine Steve, looks worse than it is."

The dark haired detective nodded, unconvinced. Seeing his friend's doubt at what he was saying, Danny laughed. "Honest Steve, I've had bigger wipe outs on the Pipe. I'm _fine_."

"What happened out there?" Steve frowned.

The young surfer blushed and dropped his eyes, suddenly embarrassed that the sight of Wilhelm on the beach had distracted him so badly. "I...I just wiped out...it happens." he lied.

McGarrett sat back down on his heels and studied his detective closely. Thoughts of the argument last night and Danny's revelation of just how uncomfortable and unsure he was at playing his role flooded back. He slowly wiped his hand over his face and silently sighed before he nodded and slapped the younger man's knee reassuringly, "Yeah it happens. Now how about we grab something to eat and go over the files again?"  
Danny released the breath he was holding and looked up at his boss, "Sure Steve." he smiled as McGarrett rose to his feet.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Pulling one of the files that had been scattered across the table towards him, Steve stared at the hand scribbled name on the front- Boris Bauer. Opening the folder, Steve found himself staring at the colored photograph of the man they had shared dinner with. Looking across at Danny he began to review the information they had already previewed before the undercover assignment had began, "Our dear friend and one of dinner guests last night is not Boris Bauer but Boris Weber, born 1937 in East Berlin. He is currently an advisor in the Assistant Deputy Attorney General's Office."

Danny allowed a soft whistle to escape and shook his head as he murmured, "The ADAGO- no wonder the Governor thought this case was so sensitive."

Steve nodded in agreement as he continued to read, "His father was a German scientist, his mother a nurse. The family immigrated to the States after Boris's father offered to work with our own government scientists-strictly classified work, of course. Boris was 4 years old when he entered the States. His academic background is outstanding. He joined the justice department about 15 years ago and rose quickly through the ranks before being promoted to the position of advisor 3 years ago. His work record is beyond reproach. It is so spotless that it shines."

The Second-In-Command sat there for a few moments before the thought occurred to him that he'd better get cracking on some case files too. While it was nice to just sit there, there was work waiting to be done. Mirroring Steve's earlier actions, he pulled the file on top of the pile towards him and flicked it open. He paused when he came face to face with a colour picture of Wilhem clipped to what looked like a complete dossier on the man.

A streak of panic rushed through him as he caught sight of those familiar features and an unconscious shudder wracked his body. Memories of the way Wilhem had carried on yesterday, directly invading Dan's personal space surfaced and he found his hands had begun to shake slightly the more he stared at the photograph. Firmly reminding himself that Wilhem was not here, he bit his bottom lip before he forced himself to calm down and begin reading.

"Here we've got the second of last night's dinner guests. His name is Wilhem Symes, aka Wilhem Krause who funnily enough, also came from Germany. Born in 1935, also in East Berlin." Danny paused in his dictation and looked up to Steve, who was watching him carefully. The way the lead detective was looking at him caused a lump to form in his throat.

"Please go on, Aikane," Steve encouraged gently.

"Right." Trying to swallow the lump that had formed, Danny continued reading in a level voice. "He happens to be the Ambassador to East Germany. After completing his degree in international law at the University of Berlin, he went straight into diplomacy and has been steadily working his way up the diplomatic ranks. 17 years ago he started out as a chargé representing East Germany on a temporary basis, and that position has gradually evolved to a more permanent one."

Rising from his seat, Steve began to pace. "So we are dealing with two important people who hold key positions in the Government." he mused. "Who else do we have in our little closed community?"

Reaching for another file, Danny quickly opened it and scanned the first page. "Ohh we have another big one Steve," he announced softly as he studied the photo before freeing it from the file and passing it across to his boss, "Chief Justice Martin Hughes."

McGarrett stopped his pacing and turned to face his Second-In-Command, "Chief Justice Hughes…isn't he a D.C Circuit Judge?"

There was the rapid flicking of pages as Danny sought the answer to Steve's query. "He used to be, but he's just recently been appointed to the Supreme Court as Chief Justice."  
Steve made a move to sit down as his mind grappled with the notion that the Chief Justice, the Head of the Supreme Court was somehow involved in this, "What else does the file say about him?"

The Second-In-Command continued reading and felt the color drain out of his face at the large amount of unsubstantiated information on the next page. It was full of nothing more than rumors. "It says here that there have been concerns over his judicial integrity - there has been a large turn around in the nature of his judgments. Prior to about 7 months ago he was staunchly conservative, whereas now..." Dan's voice trailed off, causing the lead detective to look up into the other man's face.

"What does it say, Danno?" he prompted.

"His judgments show bias and impartiality. It says here that he is suspected of browbeating the other justices to conform with his majority judgments, specifically on those regarding criminal matters. Several statements in Justice Anderson's obiter dicta allude to feeling pressured into the not guilty verdict."

"What was the case?" Steve asked, picking up yet another file from the stack on the table before beginning to review it. There must have been something distasteful in it, for the lead detective's face contorted into a look of abhorrent disgust.

"It was The United States v Sanchez. Sanchez was facing the death penalty for seven counts of murder in the first degree. The prosecution led strong evidence that Sanchez had been a contract killer for a undisclosed criminal organization yet the Justices were unable to conclude he was guilty 'beyond a reasonable doubt,' and subsequently he was released."

"Funny," Steve said. Something peculiar in his tone of voice caused the younger detective to cast his gaze to McGarrett, who then looked up. Their eyes met and the other man held up his file, which was on no one other than the man in question - Robert Sanchez.

Staring at the name on the file, the younger detective's eyes opened wide, "So he is their muscle man..."

Steve nodded as he looked directly into Danny's eyes, "And probably the reason why several members of the community have disappeared over the last few months." Opening the file wider, Steve studied the photo within before he passed it across to his Second-In-Command to study as he began to read aloud. "Robert Sanchez, age 38, born in Louisiana, the youngest of three children. He was orphaned at the age of 15 after the family home burned down. Suspected of lighting the fire that killed his parents and his two younger sisters but there was not enough evidence for any charges to stick. The case is still open. He was arrested several times during the next 10 years for drug possession and petty crimes but he quickly moved into the big time when he became an enforcer for the Genovane family."

Danny frowned as he looked up at the photo and looked across at Steve, "Wasn't the Genovane family the top crime family in New York City?"

"They were, but the family crumbled after Micheal Genovane was arrested for tax evasion." Steve answered before he glanced back down at the file, "Sanchez disappeared for several years until he was arrested for the contract killings. He refused to co-operate with the police or name the organizations who hired him. There were suspicions that he was working for a powerful but new crime organization but no one was able to find out just who was involved. He was found Not Guilty in his court case last year and disappeared again only to turn up here in this community about 6 months ago."

Dropping the file down onto the table, Steve reached for another one but froze in mid action as the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house. Danny looked at Steve as he stood and began to quickly gather the files together as the lead detective rose out of his seat and slowly walked toward the door, glancing over his shoulder to ensure that anyone at the door could not see what his partner was doing. Making sure that the table was clear, he waited a few seconds after the younger man disappeared into the kitchen with the files before opening the door, and coming face to face with Boris.

"Steve," Boris smiled politely as the door opened before he brushed past McGarrett and entered uninvited, glancing around. "I thought that I might drop in and see how Danny is doing after his little mishap this morning."

Closing the door quickly, Steve quickly turned and grabbed the German's arm as he guided him towards the sofa, "Danny's fine, thank you for asking. In fact, he is in the kitchen making coffee. Would you like some?"

"If it's no trouble." Boris answered politely, ignoring the detective's hint that he should sit. Instead he turned and walked towards the kitchen, "No need for him to have to carry it out, after all it's such a nice day. It would be very nice to have coffee out on the lanai, don't you think?"

Unable to stop the German's advance towards the kitchen, Steve followed him closely, praying that Danny had enough time to hide the files.


	5. Chapter 5

From the living space, Dan could hear the German's footsteps get steadily louder with each passing second as he moved closer to the kitchen. In the short space of time the detective grabbed the files and hastily shoved them into the cabinet next to the sink with the pots and pans. So long as Boris did not ask them for a late lunch or anything involving cooking, it was going to be alright. Closing the cabinet door with a soft thud, he quickly shuffled to the side and turned on the water. He managed to start pretending to wash his hands as Boris entered the kitchen.

Affecting an air of relaxation, Danny slowly turned around and came face to face with the German, his green eyes fixed on the detective intently as a friendly grin spread across his tanned features. Dan's blue eyes trailed to Steve whose face was pinched anxiously for about two seconds before it eased into something more normal and relaxed. The lead detective's relief was evident at the fact that the younger detective had managed to hide the files in the nick of time.

The Second-In-Command matched Boris' grin with a smile. "Hi." Dan greeted as he shut the water off and grabbed at the kitchen towel lying on the counter there to wipe his hands, "What brings you here?"

"Just wanted to see if you were alright." Boris replied breezily as he sauntered closer to Danny, his eyes raking up the detective's form, "You had a bit of a serious mishap out on the waves today."

He stopped just short of invading Danny's personal space as Steve rapidly approached and called out, "He's fine, as you can see."

The lead detective moved to stand beside Danny, in what he hoped looked like a show of support, their shoulders lightly brushing. He placed a hand gently on Dan's shoulder in a silent show of support.

"Yeah, I am," Danny confirmed. The warm weight of Steve's hand on his shoulder was comforting, and something that the other detective had done countless times, on countless other cases. He turned his head slightly up to look at Steve, and he felt relieved to know that he wasn't alone here, that help was at hand should he need it. Feeling a little more sure of himself, he directed his gaze back to Boris who was watching this tableau very closely. "I'm alright. With Steve here, I'll be alright."

Seemingly satisfied with what he had just seen Boris relented and took a step back. "Oh, I'm so glad then. Wilhem and I were very concerned about you! Anyway," he flicked his eyes to Steve, "how about that coffee out on the lanai together?"

"Let's." Steve smiled as he stepped back and allowed his visitor to pass before he turned back to the young man standing at the sink, "Danno would you mind making a cup of coffee for our guest?"

"Of course, Steve," Danny grinned as he placed a third cup on the counter and reached out for the coffee pot on the counter. As he began to put the kettle on, Steve and Boris left him to his own devices and went out to the lanai.

Sitting down at the outdoor table, Boris looked out across the ocean. "You have a beautiful home here, Steve." He said softly before he turned back and glanced at the young man in the kitchen, "I must say that you have impeccable taste."

Steve grinned as he glanced towards the young man in the kitchen, "I always pride myself on surrounding myself with only the best found on the islands."

Nodding approvingly, Boris smiled, "So I see."

Carrying out the small tray that held the three cups of coffee, cream and sugar, Danny placed it carefully on the table before he glanced at the two men, certain he had interrupted something. Seeing the proud look on McGarrett's face and the way Boris seemed to be watching him, he frowned, "Did I miss something?"

McGarrett smiled as he pulled out the chair beside his own and nodded for Danny to sit down, "We were just discussing how lucky I am."

Casting a quick shy glance at their guest, Danny reached for Steve's hand and gave it a small squeeze as he softly replied, "I'm the one who is lucky."

Turning back to Boris, Danny smiled. "We told you last night how we met, I was wondering, if it's not too rude to ask, how did you and Wilhelm meet?"

Boris laughed as he looked out over the ocean, before he answered softly, "We met by accident. And I really do mean by accident. It was about two years ago, a cold December day. It was snowing heavily and I was hurrying to get into my office for a very important meeting but as I hurried up the steps to my office building I slipped. I tumbled down and knocked poor Wilhelm over, landing on top of him at the bottom." Boris smiled affectionately. "And the rest is how do you kids say these days... ahh… yes, that's it… the rest is history. It was love at first sight."

Danny nodded in agreement. Noting that the coffee remained untouched on the tray on which he had brought it out, he said, "By all means, please help yourself to some coffee."

Manners had him waiting politely until Boris took a cup of coffee from the tray and delicately added three cubes of sugar and a large spoonful of cream into the dark liquid, before beginning to stir the liquid. They watched as he tapped the spoon to get rid of the liquid on it before laying it gently on the saucer and lifting the saucer and cup up with one hand and seizing the cup with the other to take a sip.

Steve took a cup for both himself and Danny, who accepted it with a soft 'thanks.' The younger detective was just adding a second spoonful of cream into his coffee when a small knowing laugh rang out from the other side of the table and he looked up to see Boris' green eyes shining with amusement observing him keenly.

"I see you like cream very much." the German noted with no small amount of pleasure, "It makes for a very milky and bitter coffee when there is no sugar in it."

Danny could feel the heat in his cheeks flare up at the risqué comment. He laid his cup down gently on the table and tried to keep his expression as pleasant and relaxed as possible before he tried to change the subject, "Oh, I don't think I've ever seen the snow. I would love to see it at least once in my life. Any suggestions on that front?"

Boris took a sip of his coffee, a very obvious bid for time as he assembled his thoughts.

"Well, where we were was very boring, I probably wouldn't recommend it. Nothing to see really - just a lot of old buildings. I've heard some great things about Aspen, though."

"What was there to see though, where you were? A lovely spot that you liked to go to unwind or maybe the nightlife was good." The second-in-command noticed that his voice had taken on a slightly interrogatory tone, so he tried to soften it a bit. "Any clubs you'd recommend? Steve and I are all for it."

"We weren't really there for the nightlife, to be honest." Boris replied casually, "We lived there for work."

The lead detective observed the scene playing out in front of him between Boris and Danny with mild trepidation. It seemed Danny was trying to get as much information out of Boris as possible, but the younger man wasn't being very subtle, or careful. Given the man's background, it wouldn't take long for Boris to get suspicious.

Well aware that drinking coffee was likely to exasperate the anxiety worming its way into conscious thought, he rested the cup back on its saucer before placing the whole thing on the table. He quickly assembled his thoughts to try and think of a nice and subtle way to tell Danny to calm down – it wouldn't take much for their guest to recognize that this was an interrogation of sorts. "Besides," Steve interjected, pointedly looking at Danny, "why would you want to go anywhere else? We live in paradise as it is."

Unfortunately Danny didn't get the hint and continued on, observing Boris intently. "True, was that the reason why you decided to come to Hawaii? Was there a business opportunity that you couldn't pass up?"

"Wilhem looks after all those sorts of things." Boris answered smartly.

"I guess you can say that I'm merely a passenger along for the ride," he polished off, before taking another sip of his coffee and laying the cup back on the saucer balanced on his bent knee.

"You must have some idea though, being so close to him all the time. And he seems like a-" Danny paused "- _nice_ person. The sharing kind even."

"As I've said." Boris said, obviously annoyed at Danny's persistent questions, "I don't really concern myself with such matters. They are solely Wilhem's forte. I'm sure he'd love to talk to you about it sometime." He drained the last of his coffee before setting the cup and saucer on the table and licking his lips. "Mmm, gentlemen, that was very good coffee indeed. Now if you will excuse me, I have some pressing matters to attend to." Boris paused to divert his green gaze to Danny, "I'm very glad that you are alright. I tend not to believe things until I see them for myself with my own eyes."

Steve and Danny made movements to stand up as Boris did, but he held up a hand to stop them, "It's quite alright, I can see myself out. Good afternoon to you both."

"It was nice seeing you again." Steve said, matching Boris' smile.

"It was." Danny conceded as well, "Say hello to Wilhem for us."

"I will." With a courteous smile directed at them both, Boris turned around and started making his way to the front door.

After the front door closed with a resounding thud and when Boris' footsteps on the gravel outside could no longer be heard, Danny let out a humongous sigh as he sunk back down onto his chair and rubbed his face tiredly. "I think I blew it Steve! I pushed too hard and-" the younger detective buried his face in his hands.

Pinching his bottom lip as he stared at the closed door, deep down Steve knew that what had just happened was not solely Danno's fault. He recognized just how wound up his young friend was and he should have done more to divert the conversation topic when he realized just how intense Danno's questions were becoming. Boris was definitely suspicious by the younger detective's interrogation and Steve could only hope that the backgrounds that they had set up would hold up under the intense scrutiny that they were about to undergo.

All they could do now was continue in their roles and hope that their covers had not been blown.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Wilhelm slid across the car seat and opened the passenger door before straightening up and turning the ignition key, smiling as he felt the powerful engine roar to life. He waited patiently until Boris climbed into the car, wincing as the older man slammed the door shut so hard the windows rattled. The furious look upon his lover's face warned him that the 'impromptu' visit to the new members of the community had not gone well but he knew better than to ask questions at this stage, so he waited patiently for the other man to speak.

Staring out of the window towards the tree line driveway that snaked down to the palatial mansion nestled on the beach, Boris growled, "I want them both checked out now. I want to know everything about them from where they took their first breath to what kind of toothpaste they use. Nothing is to be left out!"


	6. Chapter 6

The slamming of the front door caused Robert Sanchez to look up from the newspaper he was reading to see his irate boss storm straight into his private office. A cold sneer slowly spread across the Latino's face as he watched Wilhem follow his lover. Despite himself he still felt a stab of jealousy for the younger German man. The furious expression on Boris's face warned Robert that something was very wrong and that there was a distinct possibility that his services would be required soon.

"I want someone watching those two around the clock!" Boris roared as he reached his desk, "I want to know their every move, who comes and who they visit. I don't want anything overlooked!"

"It'll be done." Wilhelm promised hurriedly as Boris sat down heavily onto his plush office chair and reached for the two files sitting neatly on the desk.

"Well, do it!" Boris yelled, "And while you're arranging it tell Robert that I want to see him and we don't want to be disturbed!"

Biting his bottom lip, Wilhelm nodded. He hated it when Boris seemed to trust Sanchez more than him. Why couldn't Boris see that Robert was more muscle than brains and nothing more than hired help? Why did Boris insist on keeping him around when there were a thousand more just like him to be found on the islands?

"Well just don't stand there like a sulking lovesick idiot, get onto it already!" Boris' annoyed shout snapped him out of his troubled thoughts and he nodded again before he turned and hurried out.

Glaring at his lover's retreating back, Boris wondered just what he saw in the younger man. However, as he caught sight of the tight stretch of fabric across Wilhem's backside he remembered what it was. A small smile graced his lips as he reminded himself just how explosively passionate his lover could be in the bedroom. Shaking the thought from his mind, Boris turned his attention to the first file and read the name carefully printed on the front-Daniel James Simons. Flicking the file open, he studied the picture that captured the image of the young man he had met yesterday. Sandy haired, young and tanned, Danny was the perfect personification of the picture surfer boy.

Lifting up the photo, he carefully studied the information collected by some of his contacts. Twenty four years of age, Danny was born on the island of Hilo, Hawaii but at the age of two, his family moved to California. The youngest of three children, he had been raised by a succession of nannies while his parents pursued their careers in real estate, amassing the incredible fortune of over $500 million dollars.

Boris's eyes grew wide at the sum and he smiled greedily as he continued to scan the page in front of him.

Danny appeared to have been a problem child, with several scrapes with the law. Each time the charges had been dropped or made to go away, _no doubt with a little help with daddy's money_, the German noted.

At the tender age of just seventeen, the troubled young man had returned to the islands to live the life of a beach bum, more interested in surfing then looking for a job, undoubtedly supported by his parents who must have been glad to be rid of him. After several close encounters with the local police in the last year following his involvement with the local hippies his parent were obviously scared enough that they jumped at the first chance to get rid of him. When Danny met Steve they had eagerly encouraged the bank manager to take him under his wing as a mentor, sweetening the deal with the purchase of the private beach house. If they were aware of the actual nature of the relationship that had developed between their son and the man they trusted to watch out for him they had turned a blind eye, seemingly relieved to pass on the responsibility to a complete stranger.

Boris flicked through the rest of the papers in that thick folder, smiling to himself at the thoroughness with which the file had been pieced together from all the information available. He made a mental note to call their friends later to thank them personally for all their hard work as he looked onto resolved police reports attached to the file. He couldn't help the grin that broke out onto his face as he read about the drug possession charges against Danny, and how they could be used to ensure his parent's support. Considering that they were willing to fork out an unlimited of money out to ensure all seven charges were dropped, what was a little more to keep such a scandal from breaking out? He rubbed a hand over his face as he thought about it a bit more.

Danny was young, clueless and vulnerable if this report was anything to go by. He was exactly what they needed at the moment, and given how Steve seemed to be in it just for the money, surely an arrangement could be reached. What he had seen supported that assumption. The young man clearly needed a keeper, and his discomfort around both him and Wilhelm indicated that Danny had self-esteem issues, that he needed someone bigger than himself in his life for any sense of meaning. That was something that could definitely be used to their advantage. Intrigued, he closed the file and pulled the other one closer to him and began to read.

The German heaved a sigh as he stared down at the photograph of Steve clipped to the file. The man was a counterpoint to his partner; for all that Danny represented of the laid-back surfer, Steve was study of no-nonsense and starchy professionalism. Moving the picture aside, he began to critically examine the rest of the contents.

He raised an eyebrow at their age difference. Steve was forty – sixteen years older than his partner. A perusal of the file revealed more interesting things. The man was born in Texas to lower middle class parents who relocated to New York when he was three. Steve had managed to stay on the right side of the law throughout his teenage years and had worked very hard to gain entry into the business program at Brown University. Boris yawned at the rather predictable course that Steve's life had taken as he heard the door opening, and looked up to see Robert enter the room and sit down on one of the vacant chairs on the other side of the desk before reaching for Danny's folder.

When no extra information was forthcoming from the Latino Boris huffed a breath, annoyed that his concentration had been broken. He turned the page to read Steve Lions' employee profile, and felt his eyes droop at the lack of scandal or intrigue. Steve had started as a bank teller before working his way up to assistant, then actual commercial banker, who managed the Bank of Hawaii's stock market operations. His interest returned as he looked at the extremely large volume of money the banker had control over. Steve seemed like the perfect addition to their operation as he was in a position to move large amounts of money without raising suspicion. He fit their needs perfectly, especially now after Jenkins was sleeping soundly under the blue of the Pacific.

Yet there was an incessant thought gnawing at the back of his mind that disturbed him until he could no longer ignore it. It was clear that Steve and Danny fitted all of their needs perfectly, like the final piece to complete a jigsaw puzzle, but it was just...

Was it possible for something to be _too_ perfect?

His work with the ADAGO had allowed him to be privy to some of the profiles that police all over America had used to bust organised crime syndicates and drug rings. From what he had seen, all those profiles and the officers chosen had been hand-picked to mould seamlessly into their roles, to be exactly what the cartel needed. He couldn't dispute the information contained in those two reports. There was nothing missing or anything odd but his gut instinct was telling him to be wary of these two.

Boris waited until Robert had shoved Danny's file aside before he asked, "If I told you that Danny Simons was a cop undercover, what would you say to that?"

"An undercover cop?" Robert asked as he picked up the open file again and stared at the smiling face in the photograph, "Are you sure?"

Closing the file that he had just finished perusing, Boris clasped his hands together, resting them on top of it as he leaned forward. "My gut tells me so."

"So what do you want us to do? Find out who sent them in?" The Latino grinned as he cracked his knuckles in anticipation, "And then deep six them. I hear the sharks are hungry at this time of the year."

"No, not yet." Boris squashed the other man's smile with a wave of his hand as he added softly, "Let's check both of them out a little closer with the boys in Washington. If they are cops, then they will be able to find out."

"But if they are cops... we risk the whole operation." Robert mused.

"Or we have the perfect protection." Boris smiled, "Make sure that Wilhelm doesn't muck this up. I want tails on these two twenty four hours a day until we know more about them. I also want their phone tapped and a tracking bug planted in their car. I want to know where they go, who they see and who comes to see them."

"You're taking a big chance, Boris." Robert warned, eyeing the other man closely. "I can get rid of them before they get a chance to become dangerous and no one will any wiser."

Rising from his seat, the older man smiled affectionately as he moved around his desk and stood behind the hit man. "I know you can." he whispered, "But first let's see if I am right."

At Boris' soft whisper, Robert heaved a sigh and resisted the urge to turn around and envelop the taller man in an embrace. "Just watching your back but sometimes I don't know why I even bother. Especially now you have lover boy trouping after you like a lovesick puppy dog." He sulked.

"Now Robert, you know exactly why I like to have him around. He and his contacts are going to come in very handy, very soon. And when they do he will not be able to refuse my wishes. We both know how I can destroy him with a whisper about his ...hmmmm... sexual preferences." Boris drawled before he leaned down and captured the other man's lips in a fierce kiss. Pulling away, he whispered, "So there is no need to be jealous. You know you are the only one who has my heart."

The younger man nodded unconvinced as he watched the German straighten up and walk back around the desk, any signs of affection long gone by the time Boris retook his seat. Picking up Danny Simon's file, he dismissed his ex-lover with the growl, "Well what you are waiting around for, I told you what I want, so why aren't you doing it?"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Gliding the car to a gentle stop just beneath the large Sandalwood tree, Wilhelm turned off the ignition before he turned towards the small, weedy looking Hawaiian sitting beside him. Nodding towards the tree lined driveway that was barely visible from their position, he ordered softly, "That's the house the boss wants bugged, make sure you tap the phones and set the devices out on the lanai and in the living room, dining room and ohhh," he grinned wolfishly, "don't forget the bedroom."

"Is the bedroom for your listening pleasure or the boss?" Preppy grinned before he reached across to the back seat and grabbed the small black bag sitting there.

"There has to be _some_ reward for getting stuck with surveillance." Wilhelm winked as he watched his companion open and check the contents of the bag before he added quietly, "Also don't forget the car."

"Do you want a bug inside as well or just the tracker?' Preppy asked.

The German worried his bottom lip for a moment before he shrugged, "I guess just the tracker for now. Boris just wants to know where they go and who they see."

Nodding, the Hawaiian carefully closed up his bag and opened the passenger door before he turned back to his partner and frowned." You know that we are friends don't you, _bruddah_?" he asked softly.

"Yeah." Wilhelm answered in confusion. "Why?"

Mentally the Hawaiian sighed. Wilhem was clearly either oblivious to what was happening under his nose between Boris and Robert, or he saw it but refused to accept it. Preppy was no fool; he knew that Wilhem was smart but even the best of men can be idiots when it came to their feelings. It was clear that the man next to him had a soft spot for Boris, and he wouldn't put it past the other man to use those feelings against him.

Initially when the rumors had started he had dismissed them without a thought, but after he saw Boris and Robert hooking up in Boris' office that afternoon, his doubts had been squashed effectively. "Just be aware of Robert." The Hawaiian warned cryptically after he had closed the door again, "Just don't trust him around Boris, okay?"

Wilhem forced a small smile and nodded."Thanks, I know he is dangerous but I also know both you and Boris have my back. But we better get this job done or Boris will have both our heads," he warned as he watched the smaller man sigh and climb out of the car. However, the smile faded and he stared in confusion as he watched Preppy quickly cross the road and disappear into underbrush and trees that surrounded the beach house, wondering what exactly the Hawaiian had meant by his words.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Boris glanced at the clock on the wall, which told him that it was almost 3 at the moment. That meant it was about 9 in the evening in Washington. Lifting the phone to his ear, the German began to dial the private number of a good friend of his who he was sure could help them find out more about Steve and Dan. Of course, there may be reluctance at first, but he liked to think of himself as a master of persuasion who was guaranteed cooperation in all circumstances. He was sure that the FBI would have some files on Danny at least, given his criminal record.

The other side picked up after four rings, and Boris grinned at the soft sounds of chatter he could hear in the background before his good friend Donald greeted gruffly, "This is Evans."

"Donald, how are you?" he greeted enthusiastically. "I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time. Can you talk now?"

Boris felt vicious satisfaction at the panic in Donald's tone as he replied, "I can't take this call here. I will call you back in about twenty minutes. That okay?"

"That sounds good," the German replied. "I'll be here and waiting. Talk to you then." Boris hung up the phone and began to peruse Danny's file again, tracing a fingertip idly down the detective's face. Exactly twenty minutes later the phone rang, and he seized it up again. "Hello again, Donald. We have so much to catch up on."

"It's been a long time since we last talked." Donald said in lieu of greeting. Boris only called when he wanted someone investigated thoroughly. "What can I do for you, old friend?"

"I have two names I would like you to chase up for me." Boris spoke clearly, "They are Steve Lions and Daniel Simons. I want you to check all of the records you have access to, and I want them in two days."

"I will try my best." Donald began to answer, "But the FBI has recently changed my clearance and I only have-"

"You will make sure those records are prepared within two days," Boris cut across coldly, "or your family will be receiving a little present in the mail. Something that I'm sure they'd prefer not to see, or know about."

"Y...ye...yes," the other man stammered, and Boris could just imagine his pallid face paling even further in fear. "I will get those records to you in two days. If you had a photograph of them it would be very helpful as well."

"Oh, I do." The German replied, "I will be sure to send a copy to you after I hang up. Thank you so much for your help, old friend. When I get back to Washington I will be sure to drop around to your house for some dinner. I look forward to it. Bye." He hung up before the other man had a chance to say goodbye, and took the photographs out of their files and headed over to the telex machine.

Once the photos were sent, the man went to the window behind his desk to look out into the streets below. They had managed to set up operations on the Islands and stay under the radar so far, but he had no doubt that word was beginning to spread on the coconut wireless about Twilight Dust. Many of their pushers had told them that the drug was too dangerous and deathly easy to overdose on; he wouldn't be surprised if any of the local police had caught onto their actions already. After all, the word of stoolie pigeons could be just as dangerous against them as a gun or a knife.

No, it would be better to assume that law enforcement knew about Twilight Dust, and were slowly gathering their forces to try and stop its spread. Hawaii had a thriving tourism industry, and as such it was logical that the local cops would not want the dark side of paradise to be exposed. Boris closed his eyes and savored the warmth of the afternoon sun, as he realized that in the darkest depths of his heart he actually _wanted_ Steve and Danny to be undercover cops, because then things would truly get interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

AN - thank you to the kind reviewers reviewing our story. We are glad you are enjoying it :)

* * *

Closing the last of the files that he had studying since Boris had left, Steve rubbed his face tiredly. He left his hand on his chin as he glanced across at his Second-In-Command. Danny seemed totally engrossed with the file he was reading but the worried frown and tension in the younger man's posture told his boss more than words could ever say. There were dark circles under his eyes and tiredness radiated off him in waves. The young detective was wound up tight and needed some time to relax and get his head off the assignment for a while. A break seemed like a good idea and perhaps would help ease some of anxiety and stresses of the case. Making up his mind, Steve rose to his feet and gently plucked the file from the younger man's hand and placed it on the table. McGarrett looked at Dan as he ordered softly. "Time to take a break, Danno. Let's put these away for a while and get out of the house for a few hours. Maybe take a drive up the coast? Clear our heads a little."

"But Steve..."

Danny began to object but his objections were silence as McGarrett said softly, "This is not a suggestion, Detective, it's an order. Now let's get this files stowed safely away then let's take some well deserved time off, somewhere where we won't be under Boris' and Wilhelm's scrutiny."

"Well, if that's an order..." Danny grinned, as he rose to his feet and began to help his boss collect the folders that were scattered haphazardly across the table. Once they were safely collected they quickly headed up the stairs to the bedroom. He took the files Steve held in his hands and waited until Steve opened the bedroom closest before he passed them back. He watched as his boss placed them at the back of the top shelf out of sight before carefully covering them with the spare blankets that were kept there.

They took a few moments to make sure that there wasn't a thread out of place or that any part of the folders were visible. When satisfied that the files were well hidden from any prying eyes, Steve closed the closest before he turned back to his closest friend and asked. "Are you ready to get out of here for a couple of hours? I hear that watching a sunset at a nice, quiet, secluded beach can be quite relaxing."

Danny grinned, "Maybe grab a burger on the way?"

"Or a nice healthy salad," Steve countered as he led his detective out of the room and down the stairs, "My treat, but if I am paying than it's not going to be any of that junk food that you love eating."

"But Steve..." Danny objected playfully as they stepped out onto the lanai and stopped to lock the door, before heading down the stairs to where the car was parked.

"Do _you_ want to pay?" Steve threatened, smothering a smile as he opened the car door and slid inside. "You're more than welcome to."

"Uhhh, no..." The frugal young detective answered hastily as he opened the passenger door and climbed into the car. Just as Steve had started the engine he added, "I was just going to say, a nice salad sounds great." He laughed as the car coasted slowly out of the long tree lined driveway and onto the road, before speeding off towards the coast.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Making sure that the Chrysler was well and truly out of sight, the diminutive Hawaiian man edged out from the shadows of the trees and headed for the front door. He extracted a key from his pocket just as he stepped onto the front lanai, and used it to open the door before quickly going inside. Preppy closed the door firmly behind him and looked around the house. Finally deciding on the bedroom first, he headed up the stairs, making sure not to jostle the small black bag of surveillance equipment slung over his shoulder.

Entering the large bedroom, the sounds of the Hawaiian's steps were muffled on the plush carpet as he walked over to the bed and placed the small black bag on it before extracting a small listening device. He took a few moments to look around. Preppy needed a place that was out of sight but still close enough to pick up all sound. The desk was too far away and it was dangerous to have the bug too close to the bed. Behind the headboard was also not possible as it was a wrought iron one, and the metal was not thick enough to hide the listening device. He needed somewhere that was also hard to reach, lessening the chances of the bug's discovery. He looked up to see the chandelier before a diabolical smile crossed his features.

Grabbing the chair that sat by the desk, he maneuvered it to the center of the room before climbing onto it and reaching towards the chandelier. Carefully switching the device on, he placed it on one of the inward facing sections of the chandelier, taking great care to ensure that the crystals would adequately hide the device. Once that was done he brushed any dirt on the chair down before taking a few steps back and around the room to make sure that the device was invisible. Satisfied he replaced the chair and seized the black bag up again, before heading back out to bug the rest of the house. He had enough devices to bug the kitchen, living room, dining room and most importantly. He snuck back down the stairs and headed for the telephone sitting next to the sofa, and sat down before extracting the small case of tools to begin to unscrew the mouthpiece and bug the phone.

Now that the two main bugs were in place, Preppy took his time is picking the best locations for the other bugs. He was just rearranging the fake flowers on the vase in the dining room when there were sounds of tires crunching on gravel outside. With a start, the Hawaiian made sure that there was nothing out of place and that all his tools were where they should be before dashing towards the back of the house. He managed to just close the back door again before the front door was opened and Steve and Dan stepped inside.

Both men paused at the sound of the click of the lock that came from the back of the house as the Hawaiian scurried out of sight back towards the pickup location. Silently running across the grass before jumping the side gate, Preppy sprinted down the street and all the way around the corner to where Wilhem was indeed waiting. He pulled open the passenger door and sidled in. He barely had enough time to catch his breath before coming face to face with an extremely anxious German.

"What took you so long?" Wilhem growled as he glared at his passenger, "They drove past here about five minutes ago. You were supposed to come back before they came back! What on earth were you doing in there?!"

"Doing my job." Preppy replied bluntly as he pulled on his seatbelt, "Making sure that I didn't leave anything behind and that the bugs were well hidden. Did they see you?"

"I don't think so." the blonde haired man replied as he started the engine, "I was around here by the time they got back. You sure take your sweet time; I thought you had been caught."

Preppy shook his head. "Never have and never will be. Come on, let's get out of here."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Upon hearing the distinct click of the door closing, Danny quickly removed his small .22 from its ankle holster before switching the safety off. He ran as quietly as he could through the house to the back door. He took a few deep breaths before he pressed his ear against the wooden grain of the door, trying to detect any sounds from the outside. He slowly eased the door open and stepped outside. He carefully scanned the surrounding features, looking for anything suspicious. The back yard was empty and he quickly searched the area for any sign of the intruder but it was evident that whoever it was had already escaped. Cursing softly under his breath, he stepped back inside and closed the lanai door before heading back into the living room where he had left his boss.

He was surprised to find the room empty but the sound of movement from somewhere up on the next floor told him where McGarrett had gone. His eyes widened at the possibilities and cold dread bloomed up strong as his breath caught. The files!

He felt his heart begin to thump within his chest as he turned and ran up the stairs to the bedroom that they were currently sharing. He prayed that the files were still intact, that they were still there; because it would be all over if Boris and Wilhem were able to get wind of their files. There was more than just the investigation at stake here. Danny had already compromised their covers earlier and they couldn't take any more risks. Stepping into the room, he released the breath that he had not realized that he had been holding as McGarrett turned and gave him a reassuring smile. "They haven't been disturbed." The lead detective breathed softly as he moved aside so Dan could see for himself. Relief flooded him at the sight of the undisturbed files, still hidden under the piles of spare blankets. He nodded as Steve closed the closet door and then turned back to scan the room, "In fact, nothing in this room seems to have been disturbed."

"Do you think we interrupted them before they had a chance to search?" Danny asked cautiously as his eyes travelled over the bedroom before looking back at Steve. From here nothing had been disturbed; not even the chair had moved one inch away from the desk. He breathed a sigh of relief and moved to sit down on the bed.

McGarrett shrugged as he stepped across to his detective and echoed his unspoken sentiments by warning, "I'm not sure Danno, but I am sure that they are suspicious, so now on we have to stay on our toes. No more slip ups, understand?"

"Understood, Steve." Dan answered quietly. He tried to ignore the way guilt tugged at his soul for placing them under suspicion. At this stage they could only move forward one step at a time; self-recrimination was the last thing they needed right now.

"From now on we have to assume that they are watching our every move." McGarrett continued as he began to pace the room. "We need to stay in character and that means acting like a couple whether we are here or out in public, there's no turning back now." he warned his young friend. "We have to remember Danno that we have no back up, no way of getting immediate assistance if things go sour; we are truly on our own. These men are dangerous, Aikane, and they will not hesitate to kill us if things go wrong."

Danno nodded unhappily, acutely aware that he was the one who had endangered them both.

Seeing the guilt and regret in his Second-in Command's face, Steve knew his warning had had the desired effect and he gave a small smile as he placed a hand comfortingly on the back of Danny's neck and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Well it looks like there has been no harm done, why don't we go downstairs and relax?"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Donald Evans' hand shook as he grabbed the printed sheet of paper and tore it free from the telex machine. He stared at the grainy black and white photos of the two men as the telex machine started typing again, printing out the relevant information that Boris had gathered on each of the men.

"Hey man, what have you got? Is that the latest updated list of top ten wanted?" Malcolm Klien asked as he stepped close behind Donald and peered over his shoulder.

Jumping at the closeness of the other FBI agent's voice to his ear, Donald quickly shook his head as his friend laughed and reached around him to snatch the photos from his hand, "Cause if it is then someone has managed to screw up royally."

Frowning in confusion, the smaller turned and faced his colleague, "Why?"

Handing him back the piece of paper, Malcolm grinned. "Cause that's McGarrett and his Second-In-Command Williams."

"McGarrett?" Donald's frowned deepened in confusion at the unfamiliar names.

"Yeah, they are the top cops in Hawaii, part of the infamous Five-O team. I worked with them both on a case last year."

Feeling like he wanted to fall over, Donald made a move to grab onto the smooth hard wood of the desk in an attempt to steady himself. He had no idea that things had already gotten this deep, this fast. Thinking quickly, he rearranged his features into one of shock before forcing out a shaky laugh and turning to look at his colleague. "I guess you're right! Someone must have royally screwed up." The shorter man clapped his friend on the back before ripping the rest of the telex from the machine and grinning with a sense of light heartedness he didn't feel, "Anyway, I'm off to yell at some people. Catch you for a spot of golf over the weekend?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_AN - thank you very much to AllTrekkedUp for your constant support :)_

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Donald Evans stared hard at the telephone, unable to move from the seat in his office as he continually clenched and unclenched his fists. Beads of sweat slid down his face as he grit his teeth, wondering for the umpteenth time just how a night of sensual pleasure had turned his life around, forcing him down this path that he had sworn to avoid. Pulling shallow breaths into his lungs, he clenched his eyes shut and tried to block everything out and calm down but it was no use; he couldn't run away from the fact that as soon as he made that call he would be signing the death warrants of two people who had done more for the state of Hawaii than anyone else could.

But what else could he do? They had him in their pockets; he knew it and they knew it. If one word got out about what had happened on that night in Las Vegas, it would cost him everything that he held dear; his job, his family, his friends - everything that had defined him and gave him power would be stripped away, and he would be no better than a common homosexual man. The price was too high to pay for doing the right thing, but he wasn't sure he wanted the deaths of two innocent men on his conscience. He was torn between the conflicting desire to do the right thing or do the easy thing.

It would have been much simpler to do the easy thing, but in doing so he would be admitting that he was a coward, which was something that he had spent his whole life denying. If he picked up that telephone he would be no better than a common murderer. He would be no better than them. Donald raised a hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead to notice that it was badly shaking. However, for him to lie straight to Boris' face, there was the ever-present threat of those photographs. If they ever got out he would be completely destroyed. It wasn't worth it, and he had no doubt the German would not hesitate to release those photographs if he refused to cooperate; the man was ruthless and vindictive with all the makings of a first class megalomaniac.

Evans swallowed thickly as he forced himself to come to a decision. Picking up the telephone, he compelled himself to dial the direct number to Boris' office and tried to ignore the hammering of his heart and the voice of his conscience telling him to stop before it was too late. He cleared his throat as the phone began to ring, waiting for the other party to pick up.

xxxx

"Thank you very much for your help, it's much appreciated." Chin spoke into the phone before replacing the handset back on its cradle. He heaved a sigh as he extracted his pipe and the small packet of tobacco from his pocket to place them on the desk. It was very odd how their witness' testimony against Olonia had changed so drastically in the space of a few days. His two decades of experience on the Force were telling him that the witness was running scared, and he had no doubt as to why. Olonia was notorious for being very persuasive when he wanted to; using the lives of loved ones as a bargaining tool to ensure total cooperation. They had to make sure that their witness did not change her testimony, because the whole case would be blown out of the water if she recanted her statements.

Unsure of how to proceed next, the Chinese detective seized the phone back up again, before requesting a long distance call to the Travelodge in San Francisco, where Steve and Danny were speaking at the Law Enforcement Conference about Habeas Corpus and the dangers it posed to the investigative process. He looked up from his desk to see Kono walk past carrying a stack of files, no doubt additional paperwork regarding the Olonia case. After a few moments, he was connected to the main desk of the hotel.

"Good morning, Travelodge Hotel San Francisco, Karen speaking," the female voice answered.

"Hello, can I speak to Mr Steve McGarrett please?" Chin requested, as he began to open the packet of tobacco before putting a bit into his pipe. He waited as Karen searched the guest lists, and was taken by surprise when she told him that no one with that name was registered at the hotel. "Are you sure?"

"I am certain sir." Karen replied definitely, "There is no one with that name staying at this hotel."

Frowning slightly with worry, the Chinese detective tried to keep his voice steady as he asked, "What about Mr Danny Williams? Is he staying at the hotel?"

There were a few moments of silence as he could hear the rustling of papers as she checked the guest lists once more, before finally announcing, "No, there is no one by that name registered here. Are you sure you have the right hotel?"

"Can you please check again?" Chin requested. The sense of something being wrong appeared as the worry intensified. Catching sight of his Hawaiian counterpart walking across the office again with a new stack of paperwork, the Chinese detective waved his hand at Kono to get him over here. Confused, the Hawaiian detective set the stack down onto his desk before heading to Chin's desk. The man then covered the mouthpiece. "Kono, call through to the Conference Steve and Danny are meant to be at. Check to see whether they turned up."

"Will do, Chin." Kono replied, before heading back to his desk and picking up the phone. Karen's voice forced Chin's attention back to what was in front of him.

"I'm sorry, sir. I have searched for both names and they both are not registered at this hotel. Please try calling other ones. Was there anything else I can help you with?" she spoke clearly.

"No. Thank you for your help, bye." Chin replied, before hanging up the headset for the second time. He fished his other pocket for a pack of matches before proceeding to light up and inhale a deep breath of the tobacco before sighing. It was all very strange. Steve and Danny were meant to be at that hotel, and it was very odd indeed that they weren't even registered there. Could something have happened?

Chin moved to stand up and walked towards Kono's desk, where the Hawaiian looked just about as concerned as he was. A large hand was rested against his head as he hunched over the desk, and Chin peered over to see that he had a copy of the list of speakers at the conference. The Oriental detective waited for his counterpart to finish before asking, "Any luck here?" He knew that Steve and Dan would never shirk their duties and for both detectives to go missing like this given the hot nature of the Olonia investigation, there was a very real possibility that something could have happened to them.

Kono looked up and shook his head, allowing Chin to see the clear anxiousness there. "Nah, Steve and Danno aren't even on da list of attendees." The Hawaiian detective sighed as he glanced worriedly at his colleague, "You know bruddah, I am wonderin' what if dey are still on da island."

"What do you mean?" Chin asked as Kono straightened up and turned towards him.

"Maybe dey are workin' on a case that we don't know about." Kono shrugged uncertainly, "Ya know how sometimes dey work on National Security stuff."

The Chinese detective nodded thoughtfully as he removed the pipe from his mouth,"Maybe..." he began to answer but stopped when he noticed the guilty look that flashed across his companion's face. "What aren't you telling me, Bruddah?"

Looking back down at the list, Kono hesitated for a moment before he looked back up at Chin, the worry evident in his eyes as he confessed quietly. "I got a strange call last night from Tommy Hekekia." Kono began as he sighed, "He's working traffic division at the moment up on da North Shore. He was asking about Danny and da boss. Asking if they were maybe workin' on a case or somethin'. He claims dat he saw them both up in that little cove near da Pipe just hangin' out and relaxin', looked like dey were havin' somethin' to eat while watching da sun go down." Kono shook his head and continued softly, "Tommy was a little concerned Bruddah, cause he said dat he noticed a guy in a blue sedan parked just along da road a little ways and he seemed to be watchin' dem."

"Is he sure?" Chin asked anxiously.

The Hawaiian detective shrugged, "He was sure it was da kaikaina and da boss but when I told him dat they were on da mainland, he thought he might have made a mistake."

"Or maybe he did see them." Chin mused as he gently tapped the bottom of the pipe bowl against his palm. "If they are working an undercover case for the Feds it could explain why they lied about the San Francisco convention."

"And if Tommy saw dem last night up on da North Shore-" Kono's eyes opened wide in fear for his colleagues as Chin quietly finished his thought.

"And he saw them being watched, they could be in big pilikia."

xxxx

Boris was just finishing off some paperwork when the telephone rang. Seizing it with his left hand, he raised it to his ear before clamping it between his cheek and shoulder, answering in a clipped tone, "This is Bauer." He continued to scribble notes on the paper in front of him, bracing his left hand at the bottom of the page and a smile broke out across his features as he recognized the man on the other side as Donald Evans. "Donald, hello! How are you?"

"Good, my friend." The man in Washington replied uncertainly, "I have the information you requested. Can you talk now?"

"With you, always." Boris replied smoothly, as he moved his left hand to grasp the handset and dropped his pen, leaning backwards in his chair. "What have you found out about them?"

"For a start, I found out who they are. They aren't really Danny Simons and Steve Lions. Those are just their undercover names." Donald confirmed.

There was a note of hesitation in Donald's speech, but the German ignored it as he pressed further. A shiver of expectation ran through his body and he felt a delightful sense of foreboding as he asked, "Undercover? Then what are their real names?" He rolled his eyes as he heard Evan's swallow thickly before his irritation got the better of him. "Come on, out with it! I haven't got all day!"

There was a sharp intake of breath before Evans finally blurted out, "Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams."

"Surely you found out more than that," Boris spat out acidly. "That's not good enough. What else!"

"They're the two top cops running the joint." Donald rushed out. The German noted with pleasure the way his Washington counterpart's voice cracked and wavered, "They're the Head and Second-In-Command to Hawaii Five-O, Hawaii's elite State police unit. They have total jurisdiction over all criminal matters."

"Ahhh," was all Boris said in lieu of reply as he swivelled his chair from side to side, deep in thought. "What else?"

"Most of the hoods and syndicates on the islands are gunning for them. Many of the heads of these organisations have publically sworn vengeance on McGarrett and Williams. They have a high price on their heads and so far all attempts to get rid of them have failed." Evans responded, "They have a lot of enemies here."

"Indeed," Boris drawled. "One can't get to the top without crushing others in their wake."

"Y..y…yeah." The man on the other side of the line agreed, "Anything in particular you wish to know?"

Boris considered the question for a few moments, before finally asking, "Do you know who sent them, or why they are undercover?"  
"No I don't," Donald answered. "Their investigation is top secret. All I was able to glean was that they are undercover, and that was it. I had to stop because others were snooping around and getting suspicious."

The German sighed in annoyance. "I don't want any excuses! Find out or else you know the consequences!"

"I…I will." The FBI agent whispered fearfully into the phone as his eyes darted nervously around, reassuring himself that nobody was paying him any attention as he begged, "I promise. Please just give me a little more time."

"You have twenty –four hours." Boris warned, "Not one minute more." Slamming the phone down onto its cradle, Boris looked up and watched as Robert hurried into the room. The small man looked excited as he handed the small cassette he held across the desk to him.

"This is part of the first recording from the bugs in Simons' and Lions' house." He announced eagerly as he watched his boss open the tape recorder on the corner of the desk and place the tape within as he grinned, "Preppy said that you would find them very interesting."

"'Well, let's see just how interesting they are," Boris muttered as he hit the play button and leaned back as the tape began to crackle before a voice spoke echoed around the sterling silence of the office.

_"They haven't been disturbed. In fact, nothing in this room seems to have been disturbed."_

_"Do you think we interrupted them before they had a chance to search?" _

_"I'm not sure Danno, but I am sure that they are suspicious, so now on we have to stay on our toes. No more slip ups, understand?"_

_"Understood, Steve." _

_"From now on we have to assume that they are watching our every move. We need to stay in character and that means acting like a couple whether we are here or out in public, there's no turning back now. We have to remember Danno that we have no back up, no way of getting immediate assistance if things go sour; we are truly on our own. These men are dangerous, Aikane, and they will not hesitate to kill us if things go wrong."_

"Gotcha!" Robert grinned as he looked eagerly across at his boss and lover.

The German's face remained emotionless as he leaned across and rewound the tape, listening intently to the taped conversation again.

"Well..." Robert began to press eagerly as his eyes shone brightly with anticipation, "They're cops, just like you suspected. You want me to find out who they are working for and then deep six 'em or what?"

With a single wave of the German's hand the hit man fell quiet as Boris again rewound the cassette and silently listened to the conversation for a third time.

The Latino fidgeted impatiently as the tape again was stopped. "Well?" he asked, cracking his fingers, "You now know they are definitely cops. What are you waiting for?"

"Yeah, they're cops!" Boris growled as he glared at the man opposite him, "But didn't you listen to them, you idiot? They are undercover all alone."

Robert bristled at the older man's tone but remained silent as Boris gradually rose from his chair and slowly began to pace the room. "That means they have no backup..." he mused, "No backup... and extremely good covers... That means whoever sent them in is not one of the local flat foot cops snooping around cause they are a little curious. There is no way local law enforcement can pull this off; they don't have the ability to."

"You think maybe someone in Washington is on to us?" Robert asked warily, holding his breath as Boris suddenly stopped pacing to turn and glare at him.

"I think first we need to know just who the hell we are dealing with and just who sent them in." Boris replied shrewdly, "To do that we are going to have to draw them both in a little deeper and see just what they are fishing for."

"I think you are making a mistake." The Latino warned softly, refusing to flinch under German's heated stare, "I still say that we should deep six them now that we know they are cops."

Unadulterated fear ripped through Robert's soul when the anger suddenly disappeared from Boris' face and he slowly walked across to where the younger man was sitting and gently cupped his face with his hand. The German's features broke out into a loving smile, and all Robert could do was stare transfixed as Boris weaved his special brand of magic. "I promise that after they have served their usefulness to me then you can choose which one you want to have some fun with first before you kill them both as slowly and painfully as you want ...later." he cooed, "But for now, let's give them a little bit of rope. Let them think that they are being accepted into the community. I want to find out just who we are dealing with, who sent them in and precisely what they are looking for."

"I think you're..." Robert began again.

"Don't think..."Boris whispered softly, cutting the hit man's warning off with a smouldering kiss designed to choke off all coherent thought as he placed his hand on Robert's crotch and began to stroke firmly, chuckling as he heard the other man moan in desire as he whispered into the hit man's ear. "You just follow orders and let me do the thinking."

Despite himself, the Latino found himself pressing against Boris' hand with increasing urgency, so that when the German took a step away a soft hiss escaped past his lips. He glared at the man now standing casually behind the large desk as he nodded, before walking stiff leggedly out of the room, slamming the door shut with a reverberating bang. Boris stared hard at the door for a few moments before allowing a predatory smile to curl his lips as he headed out towards the lanai and leaned on the frame before succumbing to the wave of excitement that engulfed him. If he played this right he could have all the people in Washington eating out of his hands like the dogs that they were.


End file.
